The football season gets underway this weekend in the Bay of Plenty, with Tauranga City in NRFL Division 1 action.

The Links Avenue-based side have been working hard in pre-season ahead of their opening game against Waiheke United in Auckland.

Getting out of the blocks strong and early will be key to any potential promotion campaign.

'We have to aim for promotion and hopefully we have got enough quality,” says Tauranga City director of football, Barry Gardiner.

'I think we have the potential, but we will need to get off to a good start and make sure we pick up points in those early games.

'If you look at previous seasons, league winners have only lost two or three games, so you can't go too far behind too early.”

While the core group remains in the team, Barry is happy to be able to add some fresh faces as well.

'We've got a couple of changes and some younger players pushing on into the first team,” he says. 'There's about four or five that are 17 or 18 that will be playing with the first-team this year.

'We've acquired a couple of other signings, some more experienced players, and then obviously the group we already had. We have a bit of consistency in who we have got, but we've also added a little more with senior players coming in and youngsters pushing on.”

As well as the first-team, Tauranga City's under-23 side will play in the NRFL Division 2, whilst the third string will be in the WaiBop Senior Federation Premiership alongside local rivals Papamoa and Otumoetai.

Papamoa are reigning champions, and head coach Anthony Meiklejohn is hoping they can retain the title and win promotion to the National League system, even though there have been changes at the club.

'We've lost a few but gained a few as well - some bigger, experienced players. It is a bit of a refresher to the squad with a lot of quality,” he says.

'We are going to try and get promotion. It was a bit disappointing last year with Covid - we were meant to go up but there was no play-off.

'We've won it two years in a row without going up, so the boys are absolutely chomping at the bit.”

Like Tauranga, Papamoa are also putting a bigger emphasis on growing local talent this season.

'One thing we are working on massively this year is youth,” admits Anthony. 'We have a couple of under-19s that are in our squad this year and we are focusing on building for the future as well. It has been awesome to see all the hard work the club is doing in the background.”

Over at Otumoetai, youth development is also a major goal.

'We still have most of our core from last season,” says club president Paul Thomas, 'but it is a younger team this year. There are a few new faces and a couple of the older ones have moved on.

'A lot of them have come through the club and through the college and championship team.”

In order to prepare for their title defence, Papamoa have worked to a pre-season regimen tailored for Australian A-League side Central Coast Mariners, in partnership with ReDefined Gym.

'Our plans and goals are to go unbeaten again this season,” says Anthony. 'I think it is 38 games so far and we have a target for 50, so fingers crossed.”

Barry is tipping Papamoa to be strong again, although Waikato-based Ngaruawahia United have been causing a stir. Meanwhile, Otumoetai should not be ruled out. As Paul points out, they have enjoyed an unbeaten pre-season campaign.

'Papamoa are the defending champs and have won it two years in a row, so will always be strong,” he says. 'But pre-season has gone really well. We have played some good teams and tried different formations, so that has worked out quite well.”

The carrot that dangles for the Bay of Plenty teams is a potential promotion into the Northern League system, where Tauranga City currently remain the region's only representative.

'It would be nice to get another Bay of Plenty team into the Northern League,” says Anthony. 'I think us and Otumoetai are there and ready to take that step.”

Papamoa, Tauranga City and Otumoetai's WaiBop Premier sides are all away from home for the opening weekend, facing Otorohanga, West Hamilton United and Taupo respectively.