The last Saturday in February heralds the start of the business end of the WBOPCA Reserve Grade competition, with the Championship and Plate round robin competitions beginning.

The top three teams from each of the two pools of the qualifying competition will meet in head to head battles, to find the semi-finalists who will fight out the 2017 Reserve Grade Championship.

Lake Taupo CC will head into the Reserve Grade title race on Saturday wearing the favourites tag, after winning the WBOPCA First Round competition. The Taupo side were the only team to emerge from the qualifying rounds without a loss and will square off with defending titleholders Te Puke, at Owen Delaney Park in Taupo.

The crossover championship encounters will match up Whakatane United with Tauranga Boys' College in the Eastern Bay of Plenty, with Greerton and Sikh Sports squaring off at Pemberton Park.

Geyser City and Cadets, who were denied the opportunity to break into the top six by wet weather last weekend, should have a competitive battle at Boord Park in Rotorua in the Plate competition.

Former Reserve Grade heavyweight Katikati will take on the Aquinas College first eleven at the Uretara Domain in Katikati, with the match likely to go late in the day. R&A Sangha and Mount Maunganui, who have both annexed the McNaughton Trophy (Baywide Reserve Grade Championship) in recent years, square off at Fergusson Park.

The B Grade Championship is well and truly up for grabs with just six points separating five sides. The Singh XI who won last season B Grade Championship Crown, sit at the top of the points ladder with Tauranga Boys College and Wanderers, while Mount Maunganui and Grasshoppers lurk in immediate contention.

Saturday's round robin play will have Tauranga Boys' College taking on Wanderers, where the winner will cement their place at the top of the standings. The formbook suggests that the Singh XI will be too strong for Albion while Grasshoppers play Mount Maunganui at Blake Park four.

WBOPCA Reserve Grade Draw

Championship

Lake Taupo CC v Te Puke, Owen Delaney Park

Whakatane United v Tauranga Boys' College, Rex Morepeth Park

Greerton v Sikh Sports, Pemberton Park.

Plate

Geyser City v Cadets, Boord Park

Katikati v Aquinas College, Uretara Domain

R&A Sangha v Mount Maunganui, Fergusson3.

B Grade

Tauranga Boys' College thirds v Wanderers, Fergusson2

Grasshoppers v Mount Maunganui, Blake4

Singh XI v Albion, Fergusson1

Mount Maunganui Colts the bye.

Points Table

Singh XI 18

Tauranga Boys' College 18

Wanderers 18

Mount Maunganui 12

Grasshoppers 12,

Albion 6

Mount Maunganui Colts 0