The first shots have been fired as the long running rugby battle between the Bay of Plenty and Waikato gets set to resume this weekend, but it's not from where you'd expect.

The banter isn't flying on the field, but in Parliament.

The ITM Cup clash between the Steamers and the Mooloo Men kicks-off at Tauranga Domain at 2.30pm on Sunday.

And Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller and Lindsay Tisch, MP for Waikato, have shown their true colours ahead of the clash, donning their rugby team scarfs and giving each other a bit of 'chip in Parliament”.

Both admit they're looking forward to historic match, and Todd has revealed he has a lot of fond memories of past games.

'This is huge for Tauranga and the Bay and I congratulate the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union for bringing rugby back to the CBD” he says.

'For me, this is a big trip down memory lane. In my youth in the 1980s, Mum and Dad took the family to the Domain and we sat on the concrete bleachers where I could all but touch Hika Reid when he threw the ball into the line out.”

'You could smell the liniment and hear the tackles. I just loved the experience and it's great to know hundreds of today's kids and families will be able to do the same.”

The Steamers should head into the match full of confidence after a convincing win over Southland at Bay Park last night.

Steamers coach Clayton McMillan is expected to name his team this afternoon.

But one likely change is Sam Cane, who is understood to be heading back to Wellington for the naming of the All Blacks' World Cup Squad.