While Sidline Sid is a sports nut and follows all sports, it is rugby that is taking all his attention at the moment.

With club rugby in the last throes of a season that started back in the balmy days of late March - the Bay of Plenty Steamers are about to embark on their ITM Cup season journey.
Western Bay teams are well represented in the Baywide semi-finals that will be fought out this Saturday. In the Premier ranks, both post section encounters will take place in the Western Bay of Plenty.
Defending champions Tauranga Sports will go to battle against archrivals Te Puke Sports. The game at the Tauranga Domain is a replay of last season's Baywide grand final. Te Puke Sports stood in despair after the final last year as they let a real opportunity to win their first Baywide championship slip from their grasp late in the game.

Only Rotoiti can stop an all Western Bay grand final. The Rotorua lakesiders travel to Blake Park to meet Mount Maunganui.
Consistency throughout the long season has been rewarded, however, the top four form in recent weeks would suggest that a crystal ball is needed to select the championship winner.
Last weekend Whaka walloped Mount Maunganui 52-19, Te Puke Sports were beaten by Whakatane Marist, Rotoiti just got home against Opotiki to win their first game since the end of May, and Tauranga Sports failed to flatter in defeating Te Puna.

Putting my money where my mouth is - my pick to win the Baywide Premier crown is Mount Maunganui. While they have lost several players to Steamers duty, they still have some real stars left in their ranks. Zar Lawrence and Ted Tauroa, who have played a heap of NPC rugby, along with the Elvin brothers and Zion Nordstrom give the team plenty of class in their ranks.

In Division One, Rangiuru will wear the mantle for the Western Bay with Katikati and Judea still in contention in Division Two. Both Rangiuru and Katikati are chasing back to back Baywide titles. In last season's title deciders at the Tauranga Domain, Rangiuru annexed their first piece of Baywide silverware winning the Division Two championship, with Katikati lifting aloft the Division Three trophy in triumph.

There is a real cutthroat nature to the Colts championship, with just the two top teams from the round robin second round going through to the final. Te Puke Sports has already booked a berth in the final stanza, with their opponent to come from the winner of the Tauranga Sports encounter with Greerton Marist this weekend.

While the club season in nearly over - major rugby attention in the Bay will now turn to the Steamers, who are our flagship representative team. Going into the start of the ITM Cup, expectations are high after an unbeaten preparation campaign.  

However, our local heroes face a real hard start to the country's national rugby championship. Waikato and Hawke's Bay away from home, before Auckland at Baypark, set the Steamers a real challenge to grab early season points.

The reality is the Steamers season could be defined by results in the first three games. However, one real bonus is the parochial Bay of Plenty support at home games. Bay rugby fans need to get behind 'our team' to roar and cheer them to victory at home.

Go the Steamers.