Rugby: Rotoiti credentials put to test

Rotoiti will play defending champions Tauranga Sports tomorrow. Pictured is Wayne Ormand playing for Rotoiti this season. Photo / File

Rotoiti's title hopes in the Baywide premier competition will be tested this month when they face off against the top three sides.

Rotoiti coach Kevin Lee said his team had four tough matches ahead this month, which include away matches to Tauranga Sports, Te Puke and Whakarewarewa.

"We are slowly building and that four-week block will tell us if we are building towards a championship team or a pretending team," he said.

Rotoiti have won their last two games, against Opotiki and Rangataua, and have an impressive early season record of four wins and two losses.

"We are not doing too bad but we still have Tauranga Sports, Te Puke, Te Puna and Whaka to play all in a row, and that is three out of the top four teams. That will give us a better idea of where we stand."

Rotoiti will need to produce a top performance tomorrow to topple defending champions Tauranga Sports, who have only lost one match this season.

"I am not so much [concerned] about the result, it is more about how we play against them and what we do," Lee said.

The Rotoiti versus Tauranga Sports match kicks off at 2.45pm tomorrow at the Tauranga Domain.

Meanwhile, Whakarewarewa will be looking to bounce back from an uncharacteristic loss last weekend to Te Puna, when they face Te Puke tomorrow.

Te Puke suffered their first loss of the season last weekend to Mount Maunganui, in a 53-10 thrashing, but Whaka will still be wary of the home team.

Both sides are in the top four. The match kicks off at 2.45pm at Murray Salt Stadium.

Baywide rugby draw tomorrow (development games 1pm, premier games 2.45pm):
Rangataua v Greerton Marist, Te Ariki Park; Opotiki v Mount Maunganui, Princess Street Reserve; Te Puke v Whakarewarewa, Murray Salt Stadium; Tauranga Sports v Rotoiti, Tauranga Domain; rdpTe Puna v Rangiuru, Maramatanga Park.