Touch: Bay of Plenty teams gear up for National Championships in Rotorua

Minardi Daniel, who played in the Bay of Plenty U-18 Mixed team at the Junior Touch Nationals, will play for the U-21 Mixed team at this week's National Championships in Rotorua. Photo / File

Touch players from around the Bay of Plenty will be suiting up to represent the region at this week's national touch champs in Rotorua - an event expected to pump $1m into the city.

Experience and youth are at the core of some the Bay of Plenty teams competing at the 2019 Bunnings National Touch Championship, which begins tomorrow with games at the Rotorua International Stadium, Westbrook Park and Ray Boord Park. Of the 81 teams competing across youth, open and masters grades, seven will take to the fields wearing blue and gold.

Touch New Zealand tournament and events manager Pam Hyde says the event has not been held in Rotorua for at least 15 years and will pump about $1million into the city.

"We picked Rotorua because of the size of the fields, the ease of access in terms of accommodation and the differing levels of accommodation – teams can stay in backpackers or on the marae. Rotorua offered us a different experience as a package and culturally it will be a new thing for some people too," Hyde says.

At 25-years-old Elizah Ward, who will play in the Bay's Open Mixed team, has competed at the national championships for more than 10 years and is the second oldest player in the team.

"Pulling on the Bay jersey is an honour, has been since the first time. It is bigger than running out on the field for yourself," Ward says.

"We are quite a new team and we have a lot of youth, they bring speed and fitness and with myself and the older players, we feed off each other.

"I love playing mixed, it is faster than the women's game. For a woman in the team, you only play link or wing, but you have to keep up and you have to be stronger around the ruck. It is a boys-driven game but the girls are the brains behind it."

Bay of Plenty's Over 40 Women's team were beaten finalists in the Over-35 grade last year and team member Annette Almond said the players' familiarity will be important this weekend.

"I think we will do pretty well. We haven't been able to have a lot of trainings, but we had a good hit out last weekend. The old heads are very experienced," Almond said.

"I have played with all of our players, including world cups with some of them. We have worked on set plays, so we are working as a unit and that once it is called the whole six know what is happening. The main thing is to play what is front of us, but we have some go to moves when we want to work through the field."

Almond expects North Harbour to be strong again this year and Counties Manukau, who she says have a few world cup players, are looking fit. The Bay team will open their campaign against Counties tomorrow morning.

While the masters players at times face a more physical challenge than their younger counterparts, Almond says the drive does not wane.

"Even though you are older, the determination is still there. You tough it out right from when the hooter goes to the end. You may lose the physical fitness, but you have the mental fitness and that is what it comes down to at crunch time.

"To go away and compete against other big provinces in a sport I love, with family, is great. You learn lots from sport as a person, you learn to work with people, you learn communicate with people and be a part of team."

Tournament programme:

Day One, March 1:

7.40am: Team Managers assemble

7.45am: Opening Ceremony begins

8.20am: Official Opening of the tournament

9am First games start

Day Two, March 2:

8.10am: First games begin

Day Three, March 3:

8am: First games commence

11.40am: Major finals Start

Bay of Plenty will compete in the following divisions:
Under-21 Mixed: Playing March 1 - 10.40am, 1.10pm; March 2 - 8.10am, 11.30am.
Open Men: Playing March 1 - 9am, 11.30am; March 2 - 9am, 12.20pm.
Open Mixed: Playing March 1 - 2pm, 4.30pm; March 2 - 1.10pm, 4.30pm.
Over-27 Women: Playing March 1 - 10am, 5.20pm; March 2 - 2.50pm, 5.20pm.
Over-40 Women: Playing March 1 - 10.40am, 2pm, 4.30pm; March 2 - 12.20pm, 2.50pm, 5.20pm.
Over-40 Men: Playing March 1 - 9am, 12.20pm, 2.50pm, 6.10pm; March 2 - 9am, 1220pm, 3.40pm.
Over-45 Men: Playing March 1 - 1.10pm, 4.30pm; March 2 - 10.40am, 2pm.