Battle of the Bays heats up

Injured Magpie Gareth Evans with the new and improved billboard in Napier. Photo / Warren Buckland

The Magpies have fired the first shot in the build-up to the "Battle of the Bays" this weekend.

A billboard spotted in Napier which read "Go the Bay! Bay of Plenty, that is" has been covered in magpie "droppings" and the words "Hawke's Bay have replaced Bay of Plenty".

The billboard was part of a tongue-in-cheek marketing campaign run by the New Zealand Rugby Union as they looked to renew traditional rivalries in the provinces.

Earlier this month, a number of similar signs began appearing around the country. Hawke's Bay rugby commercial and marketing manager Jay Campbell said the campaign has created a real buzz around this year's cup.

"It has stirred some old rivalries and reminded people once again that the ITM Cup is the best provincial competition in the world."

Campbell said he hopes this passion translates into having a monster home crowd for this weekend's battle of the Bays. The storied rivalry between the two Bays will commence this weekend, with the added spice of the Ranfurly Shield being on the line.

The Steamers are looking to win the prized log o' wood for just the second time in the union's history.

The side last held the shield in 2004 with a strong team that featured Glen Jackson, Rua Tipoki, Wayne Ormond and Adrian Cashmore.

Injured Magpie loosie Gareth Evans said his side get a massive boost when they see how much their team means to the province.

He said fans should not expect to see a repeat of the error-ridden effort in Canterbury last weekend. Hawke's Bay defeated the Steamers 36-17 in 2014 to retain the shield.

The battle of the Bays:

Hawke's Bay v Bay of Plenty Saturday September 19, 2:35pm McLean Park Napier.