Rugby league season to kick off in Hawke's Bay

Action from the 2018 Hawke's Bay Premier rugby league final as Tamatea beat Tamatea. Bridge Pa will be going for a third title in a row starting on Saturday - no spectators allowed. Photo / File

Five matches of rugby league are scheduled to be played without spectators as a new Hawke's Bay club competition kicks off tomorrow at the Mitre 10 Park in Hastings.

They will involve eight of the 13 teams that have entered the Premier and Reserve grade competitions, involving more than 300 players.

Two Reserve grade games, with Bridge Pa playing Napier Bulldogs and Omahu Huia playing MAC will start noon, followed by three Premier games, in which defending champions Bridge Pa play Outkast Sports, MAC face Bay Bulldogs and Omahu Huia play Napier Pirates Panthers, starting at 2pm.

Bridge Pa won both finals last year, and have form going into this season's competition with their club having won the Hawke's Bay Rugby Union's Senior Division 3 final last Saturday.

A fourth Premier match between Dannevirke club Aotea Sports and longer-standing, Hastings-based Premier club Tamatea is deferred, with Aotea committed to a Senior 2 rugby union final in Dannevirke.

The clubs will be playing for places in the finals, which will be played at the sports park's William Nelson Athletics Precinct on November 7.

Co-ordinator Tracey Liddington said that because of the Covid alert level 2 restrictions, no spectators will be allowed, and players won't be able to use the changing facilities for the opening round.

While there is no Women's grade, a Hawke's Bay team will play the Central Vipers national women's competition team in Hastings on September 13.

Age group rugby league is set to start in Hawke's Bay on September 26.