Mount Maunganui fullback Minardi Daniel was in spectacular form as she scored four tries against Rotoiti in the Baywide Championship final. Photo / George Novak
Mount Maunganui fullback Minardi Daniel was in spectacular form as she scored four tries against Rotoiti in the Baywide Championship final. Photo / George Novak
Such has been the improvement of Mount Maunganui's women's rugby team this year, they probably never wanted their first season in the Baywide competition to end.
But end it did and the women in green and gold finished in grand style, hammering Rotoiti 83-5 in the Championship final today at Blake Park.At the completion of round one the top four women's teams, Rangiuru, Rangataua, Whakarewarewa and Waimana, formed the Premier division and will play three round robin games before semifinals and finals.
That left Mount Mauganui and Rotoiti to battle it out in a one-off final for the Championship title.
Despite wet, slippery and muddy conditions, Mount Maunganui showed no hesitation in playing expansive rugby and it quickly resulted in points.
Fullback Minardi Daniel was the star for the home side and broke the deadlock within the opening five minutes after a shift to the right from inside their own half gave her an overlap and she showed pure speed to race away and score.
After 25 minutes she had scored a hatrick of tries, each more impressive than the last. She scored a fourth try in the second half and could've had a fifth had she not selflessly passed to a teammates once already over the try line.
Rotoiti halfback Mariana Vercoe throws a pass. Photo / George Novak
It was telling that Daniel's jersey was one of the few not completely covered in mud at fulltime. Not because she had not worked hard but simply because she was so elusive throughout nobody could touch her.
Mount Maunganui centre Tahlia Brody also scored a hatrick of tries, with some equally dazzling ball running, in what was a long afternoon for Rotoiti, who did manage one consolation try early in the second half.
Mount Maunganui captain Hannah Ward said her side's performance was "really awesome".
"I'm really proud of the girls and I think it's just a really good way to end our first season, it was great. I think our structure was good, we worked hard at getting it out wide, that's probably what we haven't been doing this season, using our speed out there, but we did that today.
"It was certainly pretty wet underfoot but we had some good speed out wide and as soon as we got it out into those channels it worked for us."
Mount Maunganui lock Kelsie Wills racing away to score against Rotoiti. Photo / George Novak
Ward has been playing rugby off and on for close to two decades and could not help but smile when asked about being part of a team new to the competition. She said fullback Daniel was an example of the talent just waiting to be discovered in Bay of Plenty.
"She's a really talented young player and she was great for us today. Some of these girls have never played 15s before and there's some old girls like myself. It's growing the game here in the Bay.
"[The improvement this season] has been massive. From ball handling skills to knowledge of the game, I just think the players have grown so much and that's a big credit to our coaches as well."
Rotoiti captain Freda Hohepa said, while results did not go her side's way this season, having a team full of women who had never played before was good for the sport.
"It's a learning curve for us, a building season, and hopefully these same girls come back next season. It's always exciting, especially having young girls coming through, that's what we want - to build the game in Bay of Plenty.
"We've had players who started on the wing but weren't getting much ball so they said 'put me in the forwards, I want to have a go'. That's what we want to see. The goal now is to keep everyone together for a second season."
