General Regional League Comps Discussion

[Completion Rate]

With the footy season well and truly underway I thought it'd be good to have a space where we can chat about your local comp. With diehards from across the great nation it'd be great to have one place to find out how teams are going in competitions across the motu, not just Auckland. I've always got my eye on the Waikato comp, but I'd love to hear the lay of the land from Greymouth, Christchurch, Wellington, Tokoroa, or wherever you may be.
What local team do you support? Who are your clubs favorite sons? Who's your local legend? When were your playing days? What club is getting smoked every weekend? What club is most dominant in your scene? Who are the juniors to watch? What are the rivalries?

 

[Ref]

Bay Of Plenty kick off their comp this Saturday with all games being played at the one venue in Rotorua in a carnival like atmosphere with heaps of stalls etc.
There are 7 premier sides and nine in reserve grade.
The premier comp was strong last year with five competitive sides and this year all seven are decent.

BOP are now in the National Premiership Grade post club season and a programme has been set up for day camps through the season for prospective rep players.
There are some real quality players in this comp so Bay can put out a decent rep side this year.

Forestland from Tokoroa are the defending champions.
The other premier clubs are Pacific from Tokoroa, Mangakino, Taupo Phoenix, Pikiao from Rotorua, Arataki Bears from Mt Maunganui and Te Paamu from the outskirts of Te Puke.

Russell Packer is helping coach Te Paamu but says he isn’t playing but Ben Matulino is registered to play.
Te Paamu have been in the league wilderness for about 15 years and returned and won the reserve grade last year.

Mangakino are overdue for a title. They are always close and have lost three GFs in recent years.
They have a few commited stalwarts who deserve a title.

Arataki are in their second season as a league club and have lots of ex union players mixed with some quality league players.

It’s going to be a fantastic comp.

Like any region though, it seems there are only just enough referees to get by.

 

[dean]

Bay Of Plenty kick off their comp this Saturday with all games being played at the one venue in Rotorua in a carnival like atmosphere with heaps of stalls etc.
There are 7 premier sides and nine in reserve grade.
The premier comp was strong last year with five competitive sides and this year all seven are decent.

BOP are now in the National Premiership Grade post club season and a programme has been set up for day camps through the season for prospective rep players.
There are some real quality players in this comp so Bay can put out a decent rep side this year.

Forestland from Tokoroa are the defending champions.
The other premier clubs are Pacific from Tokoroa, Mangakino, Taupo Phoenix, Pikiao from Rotorua, Arataki Bears from Mt Maunganui and Te Paamu from the outskirts of Te Puke.

Russell Packer is helping coach Te Paamu but says he isn’t playing but Ben Matulino is registered to play.
Te Paamu have been in the league wilderness for about 15 years and returned and won the reserve grade last year.

Mangakino are overdue for a title. They are always close and have lost three GFs in recent years.
They have a few commited stalwarts who deserve a title.

Arataki are in their second season as a league club and have lots of ex union players mixed with some quality league players.

It’s going to be a fantastic comp.

Like any region though, it seems there are only just enough referees to get by.

Sounds like a strong comp with good reserve grade numbers.
How is junior football going?

 

[Ref]

Sounds like a strong comp with good reserve grade numbers.
How is junior football going?

It is a strong even comp.
Arataki played Richmond Bulldogs in a pre season game a month or ago and it was pretty even throughout.
Richmond got a couple of late tries to seal it.

13s down is pretty strong numbers wise. 14s to 17s are hanging in there.

 

[snake77]

The other premier clubs are Pacific from Tokoroa, Mangakino, Taupo Phoenix, Pikiao from Rotorua, Arataki Bears from Mt Maunganui and Te Paamu from the outskirts of Te Puke.

Russell Packer is helping coach Te Paamu but says he isn’t playing but Ben Matulino is registered to play.
Te Paamu have been in the league wilderness for about 15 years and returned and won the reserve grade last year.

Do they still have a Bay of Plenty competition and Coastline?

I grew up playing in the Coastline competition. It used to have a lot of teams in the 90s. Used to have the Origin type games with East vs West. I still remember my mate turning up to the East vs West when they'd play at the Mt soccer stadium. The East guys would barely get a team together or enough to train. My mate turns up and sees one of his mates from the Coastline team. The guys says how they are playing for that big check over there. If that information was passed on to the East side they would have managed to get a full team organised.

Back then Te Paamu was one of the top sides. Played quite a bit over there.

I remember playing a school game in Te Puke we got smashed but it was 13 plus reserves vs 11 with half never played league before. After the game I apologised for a head high tackle on one of their guys. He said he gets it every week playing premiers for Te Paamu. I'm thinking I don't remember playing you, then I play on the wing for our team and played lock in this game and I physically bashed most of your team. No way he'd last against our forward pack, especially with my best mate being one of the stars of that competition.

We also used to play at the field just outside of the Mount. I can't recall the teams full name used to go by TWR. It was funny the first time we played there. Our coach said we were playing a new team called the TWR Raiders. Raiders was our name so straight away everyone was "they took our name". After the game we are in the club rooms and I start laughing. My mate asks "What is your problem". I point to the sign and it says TWR Whalers.

Getting to that ground before cell phones was an experience. We all said there is no field outside of the Mount. So we went to the field in Te Puke and got told you idiots are at the wrong field.

The game was also funny. Two of my mates smashed their biggest guy and he walked to halfway and sat down. We then had an all in brawl and guys were saying they had kids hitting them with the corner posts.

 

[Ref]

BOP and Coastline are still separate districts but pretty much Premiers down to under 15s are combined comps.
I too remember the peak of Coastline in the mid 90s.
Here’s some nostalgia for you Snake.
In 1991-1995 here are some of the clubs.
Opotiki Knights
Kia Toa from Opo
Te Urewera Stags from Waimana.
Taneatua
Whakatane Sharks.
Taiwhakaea from Whakatane
Kawerau Raiders
Te Teko Bulldogs
Edgecumbe
TWR
Mt Maunganui
Tauranga Warriors
Te Paamu
Rangiuru had two men’s teams in 1994.
Judea
Welcome Bay Marlins
A team from Te Puna or Katikati

In 1994 there was a 10 team premier grade and most teams had reserve grade sides I believe.

I think there was also a separate senior comp for clubs just with the one men’s teams.
Your beloved Kawerau had two teams.

 

[dean]

BOP and Coastline are still separate districts but pretty much Premiers down to under 15s are combined comps.
I too remember the peak of Coastline in the mid 90s.
Here’s some nostalgia for you Snake.
In 1991-1995 here are some of the clubs.
Opotiki Knights
Kia Toa from Opo
Te Urewera Stags from Waimana.
Taneatua
Whakatane Sharks.
Taiwhakaea from Whakatane
Kawerau Raiders
Te Teko Bulldogs
Edgecumbe
TWR
Mt Maunganui
Tauranga Warriors
Te Paamu
Rangiuru had two men’s teams in 1994.
Judea
Welcome Bay Marlins
A team from Te Puna or Katikati

In 1994 there was a 10 team premier grade and most teams had reserve grade sides I believe.

I think there was also a separate senior comp for clubs just with the one men’s teams.
Your beloved Kawerau had two teams.

Did you play against Gary Mercer? Good player, I think he returned to BOP after his pro career?

 

[snake77]

Playing league while growing up in small town New Zealand in the 90s was tough getting the game going.

Often we'd have games organised and it would fall through. We'd get told it was the opposition. I wouldn't be surprised if the coaches couldn't be bothered driving an hour to stand in the rain and the opposition thought we couldn't get a team sorted.

Or a day with a lot of age groups and being the older kids our team is waiting to see guys turn up our size. Some kids turn up, guys get hopeful but those guys are small. Then realise every age group is playing except us.

 

[snake77]

Yeah the Tarawera Raiders. Don't think they exist anymore. Think the local team now is the Putuaki Stags.

Gone from Boyce Park to Tarawera Park. At least they get changing rooms now.

I pity people trying to drive past Boyce Park back in the day there were cars everywhere when a game was on.

I think a lot of those teams are gone or changed now.

I had a mate who moved to Taiwhakaea. I had know idea where it was until another mate mentioned we played them. I missed one game there but I remember my mate telling me that when they turned up all they heard about was these two brothers and how they were the enforcers. One just out of prison. Of course one of our guys flattens one of them with a high tackle so one brother is on the floor knocked out. The tough guy straight out of prison comes running across to avenge his bother and ends up knocked out next to him.

I remember my mate telling me. Yeah basically Stevie flattened the two of them by himself.