Nelson and St Bede’s ready to contest Miles Toyota Championship Final

The reward for coming from behind to beat top ranked St Thomas is a trip north to Nelson, with St Bede’s given the uneviable task of heading to Tasman in this year’s Miles Toyota Championship Final.

Nelson, who secured home advantage by pipping Christchurch Boys’ High in their semi-final, will be looking for back-to-back titles at Sports Park in Motueka, with the final no longer able to be played in Nelson due to the weather.  

It sets up a mouthwatering clash between two of the form sides, with both sides only losing twice in the round robin. 

Their last meeting was an instant classic in Round 12, with Nelson prevailing by just six points 22-16 at Sydenham Park, giving St Bede’s will have a ton to prove this weekend.  

“The boys are really excited about playing in the final.” said St Bede’s Manager Gerry Davidson.  

“There are a number of year 13’s in the side and a couple of guys like Ben O’Donovan, Andre Sula and Suliasi Faiva who have been involved for the last three guys, so this is a really good opportunity for us to end the season on a high.” 

The St Bede’s side have been building for this moment, consistently being in the top 4 over the last 5 years, and finally getting over the hump into the final.  

“We were top qualifier last year and unfortunately fell short, so that provided a lot of motivation for the boys in this year’s finals series and has helped propel us towards the final.” said Davidson.  

Winning last year’s final in Nelson, playing at home has previously proven a great advantage for Nelson College, and they will be determined to protect their own patch in Tasman once again. 

“We know Nelson will be a great test but I’m sure the boys will be up to it.” Davidson said.  

The match will be broadcast live on Sky at 11:05am on Saturday, with the winner set to take on John McGlashan College in the South Island Playoff.