Draw sees Te Puke still leaders in Baywide

CLUB RUGBY
Te Puke Sports remain at the top of the Baywide premier championship after they left Rotorua with shared points following a 16-all draw with Whakarewearewa.
A scoreless last 10 minutes at Puarenga Park on Saturday afternoon saw both teams out on their feet and deadlocked.
It was Whakarewarewa's second stalemate in successive rounds of the championship following on from their 18-all encounter with Tauranga Sports the previous week.
The home side was far from full strength with Bay of Plenty Steamers captain Joe Savage absent due to injury, as was looseforward Matt Vant Leven, while fullback Trent Vatselias and utility back Tofu Pomale were also unavailable. The nett result on their playing resources saw red and black coach Clayton McMillan stripped and on the paddock for 20 minutes. Whakarewarewa actually outscored Te Puke two tries to one, but five eight Kelly Haimona didn't have his usual success with his kicking boots, converting neither tries but landing two penalties.
Nick McCashin was the big contributor for Te Puke. The 2009 Bay of Plenty Steamers squad member knocked over three penalties and converted his own try for a telling 16-point individual haul. The game was held up for some time with Te Puke 200-plus game veteran Rameka Poihipi suffering a leg injury which required him to be assisted from the field.
Rotoiti were on the end of a convincing Steamer-laden Mount Maunganui effort at Emery Park. The Western Bay side who are having a resurgence this season triumphed 34-12 in their first visit to Rotorua for 2009, scoring a bonus-point earning four tries and moving into third on the table behind Rangataua on differential.
Meanwhile, Opotiki provided the upset of the round, they tipped over defending champions Tauranga Sports 25-18 while Rangataua squeezed home 9-3 over Whakatane Marist. Opotiki's dutiful hooker Dean Elmiger scored two tries and former Poverty Bay representative Sam Howe kicked five penalties in their victory which pushed the defending champions outside the top four.
The kicking of John Ririnui helped Rangataua home. He landed three penalties while Max Bullivant only had one success for Whakatane Marist.

Kahukura scored a good win over Ngongotaha in the Division one competition where Waikite lost their first match of the championship while Te Puna, Te Teko and Greerton Marist also won.
In the colts grade Ngongotaha returned to winning form while Marist St Michaels snuck past Rangataua.
Premier -
Mount Maunganui 34 (Cory Aporo, Zar Lawrence, Colin Bourke, James Riddell tries; Sam Jurisich 3cons 2 pens, Ryan Boshier con) Rotoiti 12 (Whakataki Cunningham, Sikeli Bolo tries; Bolo con). HT: 3-7.
Opotiki 25 (Dean Elmiger 2 tries; Sam Howe 5pens) Tauranga Sports 18 Tauranga Sports 18 (Kent Rae, Steven Honey tries Eru Haimona 2 pens con)
Rangataua 9 (John Ririnui 3 pens) Whakatane Marist 3 (Max Bullivant pen)
Division One -
 Te Puna 46 Waikite 29, Greerton Marist 12 Arataki 9, Te Teko 29 Reporoa 14, Kahukura 18 Ngongotaha 3.
Division Two - Rangiuru 15 Ruatoki 15, Paroa 20 Papamoa 19, Judea 39
Kawerau 3, Marist St Michaels 20 Eastern Districts 15.
Division Three - Matakana Island 16 Edgecumbe 12, Katikati 40 Apanui 5, Waimana 40 Galatea 10, Murupara 23 Eastern Pirates 22.
Colts - Mount Maunganui 45 Taneatua 5, Te Teko 73 Kahukura 3, Tauranga Sports 37 Waikite 7, Te Puna 89 Whakatane Marist 0, Te Puke Sports 27 Whakarewarewa 5, Rotoiti 20 Greerton Marist 17, Ngongotaha 25 Opotiki 8, Marist St Michaels 16 Rangataua 14.