The Bay of Plenty Women's 7's representative team moved up several steps on their recent performances when they took out the Bay of Plenty Women's 7's Championship, played at the Rangataua Rugby Club on Saturday.

A strong challenge awaited the two Bay of Plenty team at the picturesque Maungatapu rugby ground with Weliington and Hawkes Bay making the long trip to the Bay of Plenty tournament.

File pic.

The two Bay of Plenty teams, who participated in the regional tournament, were the BOP Women's 7's training squad, who played under the banner of BOP Wasps, and a BOP Development side, made up of some training squad members and several promising secondary schoolgirls 7's players.

In round robin play the BOP Wasps defeated BOP Development (17-0) and Wellington (22-0) and lost to Hawkes Bay.

While the BOP Development side lost all three of their encounters, it gave the younger members of the team the opportunity to test their skills against NPC level players.

In the final, BOP Wasps reversed the earlier lost to the Hawkes Bay representatives taking out the championship title 15-5.

Bay of Plenty Women's 7's coach Kevin Lee says both Bay squads showed outstanding heart and spirit playing in sometimes adverse conditions on the day.

'For the Wasps the tournament served as a gauge against other provincial teams and continued their marked improvement as the season has progressed.”

BOPRU Women's Regional Sevens Tournament November 17

Championship Final: Bay of Plenty 15 Hawkes Bay 15

Bay of Plenty Teams Preliminary Results

Bay of Plenty Wasps

Defeated BOP Development - 17 nil

Lost to Hawkes Bay

Defeated Wellington – 22 nil

Bay of Plenty Development

Lost to BOP Wasps, Wellington, Hawkes Bay.