Coast to Coast event gets fully under way

The Coast to Coast club rugby league competition will be in full flight this weekend, with teams in action on both sides of the North Island.

The combined Taranaki, Manawatu and Hawke’s Bay competition has the western and eastern pools playing this weekend, after only the eastern sides played last week.

Taranaki held a nines tournament last weekend to see which clubs could get the numbers to enter the competition this year and only the Coastal Cobras from Opunake and Western Suburbs Tigers from New Plymouth are entered. The Waitara Bears, Hawera Hawks and Bell Block Marist Dragons were unable to field teams.

Coastal and Western Suburbs will join Manawatu club Whanganui Boxon, and Coastal will play Boxon at Opunake today, while Western Suburbs have the bye.

Western Suburbs pulled out of the Taranaki competition last year because of a lack of numbers, but because they have entered the Coast to Coast competition, some players from other clubs have joined them.

The eastern conference will have newcomers and the only Hawke’s Bay team playing their first game this weekend in Bridge Pa.

Bridge Pa had the bye last week, but host the Linton Cobras in Hastings.

The Kia Ora Warriors play the Ohakea Magpies at a yet-to-beconfirmed ground. The Tainui Rhinos have the bye.