Black and blue triple Bay rugby champions

Te Puna Premier 1 players taking their club to the top of the mountain in their 100th year. Photos & Video: Cameron Avery/SunLive

Black and blue reigned along Te Puna Road on Saturday.

Fans of the Te Puna Rugby Football Club hung black and blue balloons and flags from fences, power poles and posts to welcome the players and spectators to two of the finals for the Farmlands Co-Operative Baywide Club Rugby season.

Last weekend the community painted the town black and blue for the Baywide semifinals, but they seem to have doubled their effort for yesterday's finals.

Earlier in the week Te Puna Rugby Football Club treasurer Donna Bidois was looking forward to seeing even more people turn up to support both teams than what had turned out for the previous week.

"It's going to be a community effort because we are so whanau oriented. You just put the call out and everybody shows up."

Donna says love for rugby runs deeply through the community which is why they take club support to the next level.

Clearly this support helped make the Te Puna teams fiercely determined to win all three of their divisions, and that's exactly what they did as they went into the final big clashes on Saturday with Tauranga Sports in the Premier 1 final and Te Puke Sports in the Premier 1 Development final.

Te Puna won Senior Reserves on July 6. Photo: Hinerau Nicholas

On Saturday July 6, the black and blue army from Te Puna won the 2019 Farmlands Co-operative Senior Reserves when their Te Puna Senior Reserves took out the final 26-25 over Matakana.

After that it was the turn of the other two teams to ‘climb their mountains'.

At the end of June five teams were in contention for a semi-finals spot in the Farmlands Co-operative Baywide premier championship. Only five points separated first and fifth spot, as Te Puna, Tauranga Sports, Greerton Marist, Mount Maunganui Sports and Te Puke Sports all came within striking distance of securing a home semi-final.

Farmlands Co-operative Baywide Premier 1 Development Final. Photo: Cameron Avery/Sunlive

Farmlands Co-operative Baywide Premier 1 Development Final. Photo: Cameron Avery/Sunlive

On Saturday, the remaining contenders finally reached the business end of the Baywide rugby year.

The Farmlands Co-operative Baywide Premier 1 Development Final kicked off at Maramatanga Park at 12.30pm with Te Puna Development (48) playing Te Puke Sports Development (17), followed by the Premier 1 Final game at 2.45pm with Te Puna (23) playing Tauranga Sports (10).

Farmlands Co-operative Baywide Premier 1 Final. Photo: Cameron Avery/SunLive

In the Premier 2 Final, Te Teko (45) won against Marist St Michael's (17).

Farmlands Co-operative Baywide Premier 2 Final winners - Te Teko. Photo: Supplied

In the Premier 2 Development Final Ngongotaha (36) won against Te Teko (5).

Farmlands Co-operative Baywide Premier 2 Development winners - Ngongotaha. Photo: Supplied

In Division 1 final, Paroa (16) won against Judea (8); and in Division 2, Katikati (17) lost to Edgecumbe (25)

Farmlands Co-operative Baywide Division 1 winners - Paroa. Photo: Supplied

Farmlands Co-operative Baywide Division 2 winners - Edgecumbe. Photo: Supplied

This is the third successive occasion that the Te Puna and Te Puke Sports have met in the Baywide championship Development final decider, with Te Puke Sports prevailing in the last two seasons.

Farmlands Co-operative Baywide Premier 1 Development winners - Te Puna. Photo: Supplied

Farmlands Co-operative Baywide Premier 1 winners - Te Puna. Photo: Supplied

Te Puna celebrated 100 years this year, and have never won the final before. What better way to honour the occasion than to play their finals at Maramatanga Park.

The love for rugby lies at the heart of this unified community.

"We have always been like that, hard blue and black,” says Donna. 'This community – rugby is their grail. They are so hearty, it's hard to explain.”

Crowds watching the finals in Te Puna. Photo: Cameron Avery/SunLive

Donna and Te Puna coach Aidan Kuka agree that the rugby club is the town's meeting hub that brings people together.

"It's just that closeness, we are all whanau. We have four maraes round here, and the rugby club is our fifth," says Donna.

'We all just and breathe rugby. Te Puna is a bit spread out, but we luckily we have our own hub,” says Aidan.

On Sunday morning the Te Puna club was still celebrating their wins, posting to their Facebook page:

'When you understand your purpose, you can achieve anything. We set a goal to take our club to the top of the mountain in our 100th year ~ Dream, Plan, Work, Achieve. Te Puna, this is your moment. #WeAreTheBlueAndBlackArmy #WeMarchAsOne #MissionAchieved #WeWonTheWar #100Years #Salute"

Farmlands Co-operative Baywide Premier 1 Development Final. Photo: Cameron Avery/Sunlive

2019 Farmlands Co-operative Baywide Men's Club Rugby Finals Results 20.07.2019

Farmlands Co-operative Baywide Premier 1 Final:
Te Puna 23 vs Tauranga Sports 10

Farmlands Co-operative Baywide Premier 1 Development Final:
Te Puna 48 vs Te Puke Sports 17

Farmlands Co-operative Baywide Premier 2 Final:
Te Teko 45 vs Marist St Michael's 17

Farmlands Co-operative Baywide Premier 2 Development Final:
Ngongotaha 36 vs Te Teko 5

Farmlands Co-operative Baywide Division 1 Final:
Paroa 16 vs Judea 8

Farmlands Co-operative Baywide Division 2 Final:
Katikati 17 vs Edgecumbe 25

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1 comment

Support Te Puna totally, but....

Posted on 21-07-2019 13:43 | By fair game

am concerned that all those balloons, especially over the Wairoa River bridge, are going to end up washed out to sea and into the marine life. We all too often see the result that plastic has on fish, birds, and other marine life.


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