Women's rugby enters final round

Rotoiti's Tamea Te Rauna makes a run against Rangiuru earlier this season. Photo/File

With one round to play before quarter-final time, Baywide women's rugby fans have plenty to look forward to.

The last weekend of the round robin includes an intriguing Rotorua derby as Rotoiti host Waikite at Emery Park on Sunday.

Waikite are the defending champions, but have been ravaged by injuries and a lack of numbers this season. They sit in fifth place with one win.

Rotoiti are in sixth, having also won one game, and are only behind Waikite on points difference. The majority of their players are new to the game, but they are improving every week.

It is a game that could easily go either way and it would take a brave pundit to pick a winner.

Rotoiti had the bye last weekend and coach Victoria Grant said her side were eager to continue building on what they had achieved so far this season.

"Our key focus will be to keep the momentum from our last game against Whakarewarewa. We need to continue to build on our set piece and be strong in this area.

"The bye was a good opportunity to rest the body and recharge as a team off the field, but now it is time to get back into it," Grant said.

She was pleased with the steady improvement the team had shown throughout the season.

"Our set piece is improving every week and our defence has improved weekly too. I am sure we will continue again to demonstrate this improvement this weekend."

Waikite coach Shane Wilson said the growth of novice players in the side had been a highlight this season.

"The focus for us is just building on what we have been doing over the last couple of weeks. We have been trying to concentrate on our set piece and letting it flow from there," Wilson said.

He said the biggest improvement this season had been in the forward pack.

"The key area of improvement has been our forwards. We have six girls within our forward pack who have never played rugby before - it has been a bit of a learning curve for them.

"Ball movement will be our focus this weekend. You can't really compete with the top teams if you can't move the ball."

Meanwhile, Rangataua host Matata on the back of a win in last week's top of the table clash against Rangiuru, Waimana host Rangiuru and Whakarewarewa have the bye.

Baywide Women's Rugby draw
Friday
Kickoff: 7pm
Rangataua v Matata at Waipuna Domain

Sunday
Kickoff: 1pm
Waimana v Rangiuru at Rugby Park, Whakatane
Rotoiti v Waikite at Emery Park
Whakarewarewa – Bye