The start of the Bay of Plenty club rugby season this Saturday (27 March 2010) brings an exciting new competition format.

The new format is based upon two Baywide divisions of ten teams, supported by strong local division rugby competitions. The new format came after extensive consultation with the Bay of Plenty rugby community during the 2009 season.

Bay of Plenty Rugby Union Operations Manager Mike Rogers said “that the major benefit of the new competition format, is that it creates potential for competitive competitions across all grades of Bay of Plenty rugby”. “The new initiative also provides the opportunity to retain the hugely successful Bartercard Club finals day.”

“The new format provides a clear pathway for teams to earn promotion to the Premier Division, by way of automatic promotion/relegation”. “Another major gain will be to strengthen local senior competitions” said Mike

The flagship of the new Baywide competition is a Premier division, where teams will play two full rounds of round robin competition, finishing with semi-finals and a grand final, The Baywide Division One competition will mirror the Premier division.

The remainder of the Bay of Plenty senior sides will compete in local competitions, where the top two teams from each region, will contest the Baywide Division Two playoffs. The prize at stake to the winner of the Division Two championship, will be an automatic berth in the Baywide competition the next season.

The continued success of many of the clubs in the Bay of Plenty, is built upon a direct pathway from age group rugby to the senior ranks. That pathway is provided by the BOPRU Baywide Colts competition.

This season fourteen Colts sides will start the journey, to find the best age group team in the Bay of Plenty. A new entrant this year comes from the extremities of the Bay of Plenty. Katikati who re-entered the Bay senior ranks last season have also entered a Colts side this season.

2010 Baywide Teams
Premier Division: Tauranga Sports, Te Puke Sports, Whakarewarewa, Rangataua, Mount Maunganui, Opotiki Sports, Rotoiti, Te Teko, Whakatane Marist, Te Puna.

Division One: Kahukura, Waikite, Greerton Marist, Ngongotaha, Reporoa, Rangiuru, Arataki, Ruatoki, Marist St Michaels, Paroa.

Colts: Whakarewarewa, Rotoiti, Marist St Michaels, Ngongotaha, Rangataua, Te Puna, Tauranga Sports, Te Puke Sports, Mount Maunganui, Greerton Marist, Katikati, Opotiki, Whakatane Marist, Te Teko.