Wednesday February 17th 2010

Article by Glenn McLean. Source: Taranaki Daily News www.taranakidailynews.co.nz 

Defending champion Coastal will host Stratford when the Taranaki division one club rugby competition kicks off on March 27.

The first-round division one draw was ratified yesterday after a draft was sent out to clubs last week.

Taranaki Rugby Football Union operations manager Derek Dingle said no club had responded with any problems, allowing the draw to be finalised.

Last year's beaten finalist Inglewood will host Clifton in the first week of the competition, New Plymouth Old Boys is at home to Spotswood United, while Tukapa is away to Border and Southern hosts Eltham-Kaponga.

The format for this season's competition has been changed as the TRFU looks to strengthen the standard of play.

Like last year, there will be one full round of play in the division one competition, with the top eight teams then playing a second round before semifinals and a grand final.

The bottom two teams will drop back to the senior B competition for the second round and play a full round followed by semifinals and a grand final.

The two senior B finalists – provided either club does not have a team in division one – will be promoted to the top division for the following year.

The senior third competition has also been tweaked, with the bottom four teams from senior B dropping down to join the top four senior third sides, making the top three divisions all pools of eight.

Dingle said team numbers were up in the lower divisions, with Clifton and New Plymouth Old Boys putting sides into the senior third competition. Their inclusion has been offset slightly by Eltham and Kaponga combining for the first time in that grade.

Bell Block has boosted the number of under-20 teams by putting a side in the colts grade.

The annual Dewar Shield seven-a-side tournament will be held at Rahotu on Saturday, with 12 teams entered in the senior division, including one from Wellington and two from Wanganui.

The 12 teams will be split into four pools of three teams, with the top qualifier from each pool going through to the semifinals.

The first games are scheduled to start at 10am.

THE Taranaki Maori rugby side retained the Tuera Shield on Saturday when it beat its Wanganui counterparts 27-19 in Patea.

Down 14-10 at halftime, Taranaki Maori scored three tries to one in the second half.