Plenty of colour and noisy action is taking place at Mount Maunganui's Bay Oval, with the annual Rainbow Cup Girls Cricket Festival swinging into action.

With New Zealand currently co-hosting the 2015 Cricket World Cup, there has been unprecedented interest in this season's event.

Tauranga Primary School players celebrating after getting a Tahatai Rainbow Ninjas player out. Photos: Tracy Hardy.

And with the sun shining, Bay of Plenty Cricket organisers are extremely pleased with the 10 teams that that have re-confirmed entry for the tournament after heavy overnight rain ruined the first date earlier this month,

More than 140 Western Bay Year 5 and 6 girls are scheduled to take part in the action as their school battles to be crowned the 2015 champions.

The Rainbow Cup, where many of the teams dress up in different colours reflecting the rainbow, is the culmination of the GoGirl Cricket program delivered by Bay Cricket in Bay of Plenty Schools, during terms four (2014) and term one of the current school year.

The GoGirl programme is aimed at Year 5 and 6 girls to draw more primary and intermediate girls to cricketby way of a standalone girl's introduction programme.

It was launched in 2013 by Northern Districts Cricket, through the auspices of NZ Cricket, and is a partnership with Sport NZ Kiwisport Programme.

The purpose of the tournament is to provide a fun environment for the youngsters to take part in three games, utilising the skills that they have learnt in the GoGirl programme.

Documentary evidence suggested that unlike boys of a similar age, young girls often never take up a bat and ball, because they learn at a different level from boys in a mixed boy's and girl's environment.

The Bay of Plenty GoGirl program is fronted by BOPCA GoGirl Development Officer Rebecca Yee, who delivers six lessons at each of the registered schools, covering the basics of batting, bowling and fielding. Each lesson is between 30 and 45 minutes in length.

Among this year's Rainbow Cup entrants are two first time entries in Matua and Pillans Point Schools – a direct result of the GoGirl program being introduced to their schools.

Western Bay Rainbow World Cup sides:

Greenpark, Papamoa, Gate Pa, Fairhaven, Tahatai Coast Rainbows, Tahatai Coast Nerds, Matua, Tauranga Primary, Pillans Point, Te Puke Primary.