Te Puke Sports has the opportunity to lift aloft the Bartercard Baywide Premier Rugby trophy in triumph for the first time this weekend.

However, standing in their way is Rotorua team Whakarewarewa, which has experienced the joy and jubilation of winning Baywide and intercity silverware in the past.

The Western Bay and Rotorua sides have won their way through a season long top echelon competition for the right to face off in the title decider that kicks-off at 3pm.

Te Puke Sports manager Ross Flexman is optimistic they will win.

'We are quietly confident that we can win the premier title for the first time,” says Ross.

'The momentum has been building throughout the second round, and we will enter the final with nine straight wins under our belt.

'While we have a young side, they have jelled together during the season, and we will enter the premier championship final with an extremely positive approach.”

While many of the Te Puke team are playing in finals rugby for the first time, the Te Puke coaching team have plenty of experience of the inferno of Baywide Finals day. Head coach Jeremy Cotter, knows plenty about the intensity of Baywide finals rugby, having been there wearing the gold, black and red jersey – with his assistant coaches of Andy Miller and Craig Jeffries also having plenty of finals knowledge.

Whakarewarewa stalwart and team statistician Brent Drabble thinks the silverware will be heading south.

'It will be business as usual for our side as we try and do the job of winning the Baywide title again for the Whaka club,” says Brent.

'We are expecting a titanic struggle, with both sides expecting to give or receive no quarter throughout the match.

'We showed against Tauranga Sports last weekend that when the side put it all together in unison that we are a potential championship winning side.”

While Whakarewarewa head coach Kevin Lee is in charge of Whaka for the first time this year, few Baywide club coaches can bring more coaching experience to top-level club rugby.

After his playing days for Waikite, Kevin had stints mentoring the Reporoa and Rotoiti senior teams.

In addition, Kevin has coached the Central Bay senior representatives and Bay of Plenty age group sides to bring a wealth of rugby knowledge to the last game of the Baywide rugby season.

Finals rugby often produces tight situations, where successful kicks at goal can be the difference between victory and defeat, with both teams well served in the kicking department.

Whaka ace kicker Kelly Haimona slotted five conversion and four penalties against Tauranga Sports last weekend, to take his season tally to over 200 points. Te Puke kicking maestro Nick McCashin is no less dangerous than his Whakarewarewa counterpart, and can slot goals with unerring accuracy.

The entrée to the main event will be provided on the Greerton Park Number One field at 1pm, when Te Teko who are one of two Eastern Bay sides fighting for Baywide silverware, will take on Greerton Marist.

The division one final matches the two top qualifiers from the regular season competition in what should be a battle of attrition.

A real incentive in the div one final is the prize on offer of automatic promotion to the 2012 Baywide Premier competition to replace Whakatane Marist, which has been relegated to the second echelon next season.

There could be double cause for Te Puke celebrations on Saturday with the Te Puke Sports Colts side also making a Baywide title decider.

The Te Puke Colts are the defending Baywide champions and have made all the running this season.

They will go into the final against Greerton Marist as hot favourites to win back to back titles.

However, Greerton Marist will have a huge band of supporters on hand, for the opening game of Bartercard Baywide Finals day.

The 22-15 win by Te Puke Sports over Greerton a few weeks ago, suggested that there could be little between the two age group teams in the red-hot action of Baywide finals day.

The division two final game, which is contested by team that have been playing Sub-Union rugby for most of the season, also has a promotion prize (to division one) on offer.

Former div one teams Poroporo and Arataki will battle for the div two silverware on offer and promotion to Baywide rugby next year.

Senior reserve titleholders Mount Maunganui have the opportunity to win successive crowns, and will contest an inter-city battle against Ngongotaha.

BOPRU Bartercard Baywide Finals Draw 6 August 2011 at Greerton Park

Premier (Field One 3pm) Te Puke Sports v Whakarewarewa.

Division One (Field One 1pm) Te Teko v Greerton Marist.

Division Two (Field Three 1.45pm) Arataki v Poroporo.

Senior Reserve (Field Three 12pm) Mount Maunganui v Ngongotaha.

Colts (Field One 11am) Te Puke Sports v Greerton Marist.