Mount Maunganui and Tauranga Sports, who sit locked together at the top of the Baywide standings with just two rounds remaining in the regular season - cemented their top-two spots in contrasting fashion on Saturday

Tauranga Sports had a real fight on their hands, before taking out a 20-16 victory over a defiant Greerton Marist unit at Greerton Park.

A Greerton Facebook post told the tale of the encounter in stating that 'there was 85 minutes of hard fought rugby”.

The visitors held a narrow 7-5 lead at the break. The hosts hit the lead as the clock wound down, before Tauranga Sports scored a dramatic touchdown in the last moments of the game, with the successful conversion giving them a four point victory.

Mount Maunganui had a try-fest against Katikati posting fifty unanswered points in the first forty minutes, before going onto an 88 nil victory.

Te Puke Sports shared the match points with Whakarewarewa, at Puarenga Park in Rotorua, after their match ended in a 14 all draw. Whaka led 7-6 at the break courtesy of a penalty try.

The visitors to the Sulphur City came from behind to score right on full-time, to sit in equal fourth spot on the table with their weekend opponents.

Rangataua posted their third win of the Baywide competition when they won a high scoring match against Rotoiti in enemy territory. They turned a 14 point advantage at halftime into a solid 47-24 win.

Judea were another Western Bay of Plenty team to give their opponents a fright, when they journeyed to the Ngongotaha Domain.
Ngongotaha led by seven after forty minutes, before grabbing the win points on offer, with the scoreboard showing the hosts had prevailed by a narrow 29-24 advantage. Judea showed plenty of courage in picking up their fourth bonus point of the competition.

Te Puna lurk a solitary point behind Tauranga Sports and Mount Maunganui, after dispatching Rangiuru 37-19 at Centennial Park in Te Puke.

The Te Puna Development side laid the platform for a club trifecta of victories when they demolished Rangiuru 99 nil. Te Puna sit astride the Western Bay of Plenty title race with Eastern Districts, with 41 points each.

ED returned home with a 69-7 victory against Judea on their ledger card. Tauranga Sports beat Greerton Marist 31-15 in the early action at Greerton Park, Te Puke Sports put 64 unanswered points on Papamoa, with Arataki getting past Matakana Island 52 nil.

Baywide Colts round three games, resulted in Mount Maunganui beating Kahukura 57-17, Te Puna having a old-fashioned tussle with Taupo United before emerging victorious 38-17 and Greerton Marist overpowering Te Puke Sports 62 nil.

BOPRU Baywide Results – Week Nine 10 June 2023
Mount Maunganui 88 Katikati 0 (HT 50-0) Rangataua 47 Rotoiti 24 (HT 26-12) Tauranga Sports 20 Greerton Marist 16 (HT 7-5) Whakarewarewa 14 Te Puke Sports 14 (HT Whaka 7-6) Te Puna 37 Rangiuru 19 (HT 19-7) Ngongotaha 29 Judea 24 (HT 12-7)

Points Table (Provisional) Mount Maunganui 39, Tauranga Sports 39, Te Puna 38, Whakarewarewa 32, Te Puke Sports 32, Greerton Marist 28, Rangiuru 23, Ngongotaha 17, Rangataua 16, Rotoiti 7, Judea 4, Katikati 0.

WBOPRS Development/Local Rugby Results
Tauranga Sports 31 Greerton Marist 15, Te Puke Sports 64 Papamoa 0, Te Puna 99 Rangiuru 0. Eastern Districts 69 Judea 7, Arataki 52 Matakana Island 0, Mount Maunganui won by default from Katikati, Rangataua the bye.

Points Table (Provisional) Te Puna 41, Eastern Districts 41, Tauranga Sports 37, Mount Maunganui 33, Arataki 33, Te Puke Sports 30, Greerton Marist 26, Rangiuru 22, Rangataua 17, Papamoa 14, Matakana Island 13, Judea 4, Katikati 1
WBOPRS Baywide Promotion Competition (Provisional) Eastern Districts 41, Arataki 33, Papamoa 14, Matakana Island 13.

BOPRU Colts Results
Mount Maunganui 57 Kahukura 17, Greerton Marist 62 Te Puke Sports 0, Te Puna 38 Taupo United 17.
Points Table (Provisional) Mount Maunganui 14, Greerton Marist 14, Te Puna 10, Taupo United 6, Kahukura 0, Te Puke Sports 0.

Jordan Cup Results 2023
2022 Holder – Tauranga Sports
22 April Mount Maunganui 41 Tauranga Sports 19
29 April Mount Maunganui 59 Rangataua 0
6 May Mount Maunganui 75 Judea 7
13 May Mount Maunganui 57 Te Puke Sports 8
10 June Mount Maunganui 88 Katikati 0

Next Challenge
17 June Mount Maunganui v Rangiuru, Centennial Park.

BOPRU Baywide Draw 17 June 2023 (2.45pm)
Tauranga Sports v Whakarewarewa, Tauranga Domain; Greerton Marist v Te Puna, Greerton Park; Te Puke Sports v Ngongotaha Murray Salt Stadium; Judea v Rotoiti, Maharaia Winiata Park; Katikati v Rangataua, Moore Park; Rangiuru v Mount Maunganui, Centennial Park.
WBOPRFS Development/Local Rugby Draw 17 June (1pm)
Tauranga Sports v Eastern Districts, Tauranga Domain; Greerton Marist v Te Puna, Greerton Park; Te Puke Sports v Matakana Island, Murray Salt Stadium; Judea v Papamoa, Maharaia Winiata Park; Katikati v Rangataua, Moore Park; Rangiuru v Mount Maunganui, Centennial Park; Arataki the bye.

BOPRU Colts Competition 17 June (1pm)
Mount Maunganui v Taupo United, Blake Park; Kahukura v Te Puke Sports, Westbrook Park; Greerton Marist v Te Puna, Greerton Park.