Tauranga Sports retained the Jordan Cup challenge trophy for the first time this season with an emphatic 60-0 victory over Te Puna in the Baywide Premier main match at Tauranga Domain on Saturday.

First contested in 1913, the Jordan Cup remains one of the oldest trophies in Bay of Plenty sport, and Tauranga Sports ensured it stayed firmly in their grasp with a commanding performance.

The contest was scoreless for the opening 25 minutes before Tauranga Sports skipper Rihari Jobe crossed for the opening try. From there, the hosts began to gain momentum, taking a narrow 12-0 advantage into halftime.

After the break, Tauranga Sports cut loose, piling on a further eight tries in a comprehensive second-half display that underlined their title credentials.

Elsewhere in the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union (BOPRU) Baywide Premier competition, Mount Maunganui were forced to work hard at Blake Park before securing a 35-24 win over Te Puke Sports in a genuine arm-wrestle.

Greerton Marist returned from Eastern Bay of Plenty with a valuable 19-12 victory over Ōpōtiki, having trailed for a period in a physically contested encounter.

Following the weekend’s results, Tauranga Sports and Mount Maunganui sit level at the top of the points ladder as the competition’s only unbeaten teams.

In Development grade action, the closest contest saw Greerton Marist edge past Ōpōtiki 42-31 in the early match at Ōpōtiki. The remaining fixtures were one‑sided affairs, with Mount Maunganui running in 97 unanswered points against Te Puke Sports, while Tauranga Sports shut out Te Puna 66-0.

There were celebrations well into the evening at Eastern Districts clubrooms in Paengaroa after the hosts defeated Rangiuru 24-5 in a Western Bay of Plenty Senior Championship match. Pāpāmoa claimed a narrow 27-24 win over neighbouring Arataki, while Katikati produced a dominant 52-0 victory against Judea.

In Baywide Colts/Under-85kg matches, Greerton Marist recorded a 41-21 win over Taupō, while Mount Maunganui edged Te Puke Sports 17-7 in a closely fought contest.

Results

BOPRU Premier

Tauranga Sports 60, Te Puna 0; Greerton Marist 19, Ōpōtiki 12; Mount Maunganui 35, Te Puke Sports 24

Points Table

Tauranga Sports 10, Mount Maunganui 10, Te Puke Sports 5, Greerton Marist 4, Ōpōtiki 1, Te Puna 0, Whakarewarewa 0

BOPRU Development

Mount Maunganui 97, Te Puke Sports 0; Tauranga Sports 66, Te Puna 0; Greerton Marist 42, Ōpōtiki 31

BOPRU Colts/U85kg

Greerton Marist 41, Taupō 21; Mount Maunganui 17, Te Puke Sports 7

WBOP Senior Championship

Katikati 52, Judea 0; Eastern Districts 24, Rangiuru 5; Pāpāmoa 27, Arataki 24

– Content supplied by Tauranga-based sports writer Barry Leabourn