Hometown heroes ready to soar

GAME TIME: The Bay of Plenty men's and women's sevens teams will chase national titles today during the Bayleys National Sevens in Rotorua. Pictured is the men's team training at Rotorua International Stadium. PHOTO/STEPHEN PARKER 291213SP12

BOP sevens stars take on big guns

Experienced Bay of Plenty sevens players Curtis van der Heyden and Calli Turner are licking their lips at the thought of running out on to Rotorua International Stadium.

The two Bay players will represent the region at the Bayleys National Sevens tournament in Rotorua today and tomorrow.

Former Rotorua Girls' High School student Turner, who is based in Tauranga, said she could not wait to get started today in the women's competition.

"We are ranked ninth, so we are underdogs but that is a good place to be," she said.

Turner said it was a special tournament for the Bay women's side who have not featured at the national tournament in recent years.

"This is the first time we have qualified," she said. "Playing in our home province will be an advantage. Having friends and family there is awesome."

Turner has played three seasons for the Bay sevens team and is a senior player in the side, which boasts plenty of young talent. Her team will be up against Manawatu, Canterbury, Taranaki, and Counties Manukau today, who all feature in their pool.

Rotorua's van der Heyden, who played for the Bay men's team last year, said they had the talent to go far in the tournament. He said they just needed to get it right on the field.

"You can have the best players but it is more important to have a star team than a team full of stars."

He said last season they had relatively poor results leading into the tournament but fired at the nationals, making the semifinals.

"That's what I am hoping for again this weekend. It is one of those games where it all depends on how you go on the day."

Van der Heyden said there was certain expectation on the home province to do well and he encouraged plenty of local supporters to get behind them this weekend.

He said he really wanted to do well, especially in his home town of Rotorua.

"It would mean a lot not just to me but the whole team," he said.

The teams to beat this weekend include defending champions Taranaki and powerhouse side Auckland.

The Bay men's team will be up against Tasman, Northland, and Counties Manukau today in pool play with the finals held tomorrow.

The Bay men's team does not include any New Zealand sevens players but boasts plenty of talent from the Baywide premier rugby competition.

The fast-paced, two-day competition includes 16 provincial men's teams and 10 provincial women's teams.

It is the first time the national tournament has been staged in Rotorua with thousands of spectators expected to attend on both days.

The Bay men's and women's teams have never won the competition.

Games run from 12pm-8pm on both days. Check page 13 for the full draw.