Pedro Caceres-Garzon snipes around a ruck with Kurtis McNaughten and Zack Clarke looking on. Photo / Jason Bartley
A hard-fought clash between Whangamata and local rivals Waihi Athletic was 0-0 for 60 minutes before eventually Whangamata got the upper hand on Saturday.
Whangamata's Senior Men's side began the 2020 season powerfully with a close but deserved 8-5 win over Waihi.
Waihi described it as a "hard, physically demanding game in trying conditions".
Terrible weather faced players in a tense and low scoring game in which each side scored a try.
Eli Byles played his 100th game for Whangamata in this first game of the season.
Meanwhile Tairua, in the Senior B division, powered past Ngatea by 61-7 to jump to the head of this competition with a crowd of local supporters in tow.
For 2020, the club entered the B grade competition to allow younger players to blend with older and returning players, without the pressure of the A grade.
"Previous years we had recruited guys from overseas in numbers, the COVID-19 virus would have created significant issues for us if we had followed that route leading into this year," said club president Brett Collins.
COMING UP
This week's games Whangamata host 2019 Champions Te Aroha Cobras with 2pm kick off.
Tairua travel to Thames for a 12.25pm kick off.
Paeroa vs Waihou at Paeroa 2pm kick off.
Mercury Bay will play Waihi Athletic in Whitianga at 2pm
Thames will play Hauraki North in Thames at 2pm.
RESULTS
Thames Valley club rugby results Senior A Waihi Athletic 5 v Whangamata 8, Te Aroha Cobras 36 v Waihou 8, Hauraki North 32 v Paeroa 6, Thames 8 v Mercury Bay 20.
Senior B Te Aroha Cobras 15 v Coromandel 36, Hauraki North 28 v Paeroa 0, Thames 7 v Mercury Bay 7, Ngatea 7 v Tairua 61.
Kiwi K.A.R.E was set up by former Tauranga mayor Tenby Powell.