Editorial: Rotorua clubs should push for rule change

Whakarewarewa feel the venue for the Baywide club rugby grand final shouldn't be in held in Tauranga.

It's not hard to see why Whakarewarewa feel aggrieved over the choice of venue for this weekend's Baywide club rugby grand final.

Rotorua's top side beat Tauranga Sports at the weekend to qualify for the final, and they'll face Mount Maunganui Sports, who beat top-ranked Te Puke.

At the end of the regular season, going into the semis, the finalists Whaka and the Mount had placed third and fourth respectively.

As sports fans we've been conditioned by regional and international competitions to expect the highest placed qualifiers to host finals matches.

But Whaka won't be playing host this weekend. They have to travel to Tauranga Domain.

Unlike, say, the ITM Cup, where there's extra incentive to qualify higher so you can enjoy home advantage in the finals, the Baywide works on a points system. The four finalists from the premier competition and the premier development competition get points for their sub-region, and the sub-region with the most points plays host to both games. It appears the priority is playing the finals together, rather than allowing home advantage.

But Rotorua clubs would always be hard-pressed to get enough points to outweigh the Western Bay, and would be right to push for change when the rule is discussed at the end of the season.

The union considers Tauranga Domain a neutral venue - but it's only a few minutes from the harbour bridge and the Mount. And while it's not Mount Sports' home ground, it may as well be.

Whaka fans can at least comfort themselves that their track record at the domain isn't too bad.

As our reporter noted on Monday, three times the Rotorua side have travelled to Tauranga Domain for semifinals since 2006. Three times they have emerged the victors. It's like, he wrote, a home away from home.

This time it's the final, and with a little extra fire in their bellies thanks to the venue snub, let's hope our boys can bring the championship back to their true home.