Rugby: Thrills in store for new season in the Bay

Steamers player Hamish Gosling in action against Hawke's Bay during a pre-season match at the Rotorua International Stadium last year. Photo / File

Bay of Plenty Rugby fans can look forward to an exciting season involving afternoon match-ups with traditional rivals and neighbours.

Bay of Plenty will open their 2015 ITM Cup campaign at home against North Harbour on Friday August 14 at 8.05pm at ASB Baypark Stadium.

Week three will be a big week for Bay of Plenty. They host Southland on Wednesday August 26 at ASB Baypark before the feature match of the Steamers ITM Cup campaign against Waikato at the Tauranga Domain on Sunday August 30.

Following a game away to Counties Manukau, the Steamers face ITM Cup Premiership winners Taranaki on Saturday September 12 at Rotorua International Stadium. The afternoon game will be perfect for families and will hold special interest as Steamers coach Clayton McMillan returns to Rotorua for the first time as Bay coach after playing 113 games for the Bay.

"This game will no doubt be a highlight for me and I know the Rotorua community will come out in force to support the boys take on the current premiership champions," McMillan said.

The final scheduled home game for 2015 will be held on Sunday October 4 at ASB Baypark against Wellington.

The Steamers will play three pre-season games leading up to their ITM Cup campaign across the wider Bay of Plenty.

The first will be held at Moore Park, Katikati on Wednesday June 24 with the Steamers playing Counties Manukau under their respective banners Wasps and Cavaliers. The Steamers will then take on Auckland on Friday July 31 at Whakatane's Rugby Park and Manawatu at the Tauranga Domain on Thursday August 6.

Bay of Plenty Rugby chief executive Mike Rogers says they are committed to being a unified union. "One way of supporting this is connecting to all areas in the Bay and ensuring all communities have access to top-level rugby. When you add in the Bayleys National Sevens and Chiefs-versus-Bulls fixture both held in Rotorua this year we feel like we are providing all of the Bay an opportunity to access top-level rugby.

"The ITM Cup is a fantastic opportunity for our communities to get behind and support the Steamers by attending games. We have already started working with our three sub-unions to support these fixtures and make them events that the whole Bay community is proud of."