Bay of Plenty Steamers to celebrate with fans

Bay of Plenty Steamers fans show their support at Rotorua International Stadium on Friday. Photo / Getty Images

During the last few years there have been many ups and downs for the Bay of Plenty Steamers and sitting alongside them on that rollercoaster have been thousands of loyal fans.

So, it is only right that after their 12-7 win over Hawke's Bay in the Mitre 10 Cup Championship final on Friday they want to celebrate with the faithful blue and gold supporters.

Today, the players will be at The Rising Tide in Mount Maunganui with the trophy on display, signing autographs and taking photos, from 5pm. On Wednesday, they will be at Aquaheat (266 The Strand) in Whakatāne from 12pm and at Eat Streat in Rotorua from 3pm.

Bay of Plenty Rugby Union community rugby manager Pat Rae said he encouraged Bay of Plenty fans to head to the different celebrations around the region, saying the core group of players were born and bred in the Bay of Plenty so it would be great to see people turn out for them.

"It will be really cool to see a lot of people getting out there to those. Especially the younger ones, because they're the future of the game. I know a number of the Steamers have local connections which I think is a good thing.

"There's always a fear and a lot of our older heads complain when you bring in outsiders but I think [head coach] Clayton McMillan has done a really good job of balancing it. The core of the group are locals and you just bring in some expertise where we lack.

The Bay of Plenty Steamers celebrate their Mitre 10 Cup Championship win. Photo / Getty Images

"Alex Ainley was a classic example of that. He was good on the field but some of the stories I've heard coming out of Steamers camp are about the impact he had on the younger players off the field in between games. We plucked off three Hawke's Bay throw-ins and it's all through being able to analyse your opposition, knowing what to look for and Alex was instrumental in that."

He said it was great the Steamers were giving back was looking forward to seeing what effect their success would have on junior participation next year.

"I think any team that experiences success, it has a positive impact on the players that lead up into those teams, that's for sure.

"One of the things that I really enjoyed from both the semis and the final was watching all the kids play down in the whānau zones. Normally we shut those things down straight after halftime but in both those games we let them play out right to the end, mainly because there were so many kids down there - playing 50 on 50 touch and that sort of thing.

"That's a pretty good gauge of the success of the team. I think the Steamers did really well to connect with the kids at all of those games by having autograph sessions and spending lots of time out on the field after the games. That's massive, they did a really good job connecting with the kids which will lead into future participation rates next year."

The players themselves have certainly created a really cool legacy to build on, that's really exciting and it will be really cool to see how that affects our participation and registration sign up rates in the new year.

Another factor Rae hoped would contribute to increased junior participation was the Ball for All project, which saw the profits from ticket sales at the final go towards specially designed rugby balls gifted to every boy and girl who plays for a club or school in 2020.

"That will be massive in terms of getting every registered player a rugby ball. That will go a long way as well.

"The players themselves have certainly created a really cool legacy to build on, that's really exciting and it will be really cool to see how that affects our participation and registration sign up rates in the new year."

Bay of Plenty Steamers Trophy Tour
5pm Tuesday at The Rising Tide, Mount Maunganui.
12pm Wednesday at Aquaheat (266 The Strand), Whakatāne.
3pm Wednesday at Eat Streat, Rotorua.