Rugby: Crunch time for Rotorua sides

Waikite and Kahukura play semis today while Whaka face the Mount in the Baywide final.

ROTORUA rugby fans will hit the road today to watch their beloved clubs.

Waikite and Kahukura will both play their semifinal matches in Division One while Whakarewarewa will meet Mount Maunganui in the Baywide premier final.

History is in the making for all three local clubs, but perhaps none more so than Whaka. They haven't won a premier title since 2006 and will be pumped for the match today.

Former Whaka coach Alan Nock, who won the title with Whaka in 2002 and 2006, will be among supporters watching from the sidelines at Tauranga Domain.

Nock said if he had any advice to share with the players it would be this - be patient and don't get too anxious.

"Just trust what has got you there and what will get you through the final game," he said. "And always have a back-up. In 2006, we trained with a basic format ... we had all our flash backline moves but, if it wasn't working, you had to be able to come back to a basic format."