Rugby: 'Pride and passion' give Judea the championship

Judea have won their first Baywide rugby title in more than a decade. Photo / Supplied

Judea have grabbed their first piece of Baywide rugby silverware since 2003 by defeating Eastern Bay of Plenty side Ruatoki in the Division Two Championship final in Whakatane.

The Western Bay club, who celebrated their centenary in 2010, capped a season in which they lost only once with a hard fought 23-15 win.

Down 5-10 at the halftime break, Judea rallied to their catch phrase of "jingle bells all the way" to clinch the silverware with three second-half tries.

Judea captain/coach Tamehana Heke said winning the silverware meant plenty to the small club.

"The end of the match was a mixture of happiness and relief and the conclusion of our journey to win another Baywide trophy for our club," Heke said.

"We played with pride and passion for our club and our family of loyal supporters who have got behind us on our journey to Baywide silverware again.

"A driving reason for the old hands in our side to chase success has been to keep the young fellows of the club in the royal blue and white jersey instead of moving to other clubs."

The journey to the Division Two title started three seasons ago when a band of Tauranga club players pledged to bring the club out of the wilderness.

Falling to Arataki by two points in last season's semifinals sharpened the side's focus, leading to a second-placed finish in the first round competition contested by Western Bay teams, including Division One sides Arataki and Katikati.

A strong second half to the season followed, with Judea claiming a 20-8 semifinal victory over Waimana to book their place in the final.

The strong family support and encouragement from former players such as Gary Lonergan and George Aporo played a huge part in the campaign.

Marsh Tawa, a 42-year-old club man, said it was the perfect time to give the game away.

"The relief that the journey is over means I can throw my boots away."

Baywide Division Two Championship Final: Judea 23 (Rana Kapene-Taita, Levi Tofa, Stacey Adams, John Thompson tries; Jacob Mathews pen) Ruatoki 15. Halftime 5-10.