Bay of Plenty the conurbation of the city of Tauranga and its neighbour Mount Maunganui in the west. The town of Whakatane is located in the centre of the coast. Other towns of note include Waihi Beach, Katikati, Maketu, Pukehina Beach and Opotiki. Most of the population along the coast is concentrated in the western and central parts of the shore; the eastern part is sparsely populated hill country. In the 2006 Census, the Bay of Plenty had an estimated resident population of 257,379, making it the fifth-most populous region in New Zealand. It also has the third-highest regional population density in New
Bay of Plenty Rugby Union has 38 local clubs under affiliated with them and three sub-unions to be part of. The Baywide competition runs for 20–21 weeks and split to four stages: The 38 clubs are split into three sub-unions, the Central, Eastern and Western Sub-Unions. There are ten clubs in the Central Bay of Plenty sub-union. There are 14 clubs in the Eastern Bay of Plenty sub-union. There are 13 clubs in the Western Bay of Plenty sub-union. Stage One runs for 6–7 weeks, clubs are put into their respective sub-unions and complete a local competition. 24 teams are put into 2 sections with