Love Letter to the Steamers

By Benji Crossley

Dear Bay of Plenty,

I’ve been thinking about you a lot the last few days, well more than usual.

I’ve been thinking about Eion Crossan and Andy Miller, Dean Jennings and Glen Jackson, Wayne Ormond and Aleki Lutui. But then also about Matthew Carrington and tighthead scrums at Eden Park, promotion relegation playoffs, 2^nd division with no promotion into the first division, but then I always come back to Matthew Carrington on a grey day at Eden Park in 1996.

Because Bay of Plenty, you were my first. The first sports teams that taught me the contrast of the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Bay of Plenty fans of all vintage understand lows. Wellington fans like to claim they have the most heartbreaking Shield history, they don’t. Until you’ve lost a Shield challenge off the back of a tighthead scrum in injury time converted from the sideline while you were still a 2^nd division team then don’t talk to me about heartbreak.

But then there have been highs, the highest of highs at the same place as that low. I vividly remember standing in the aisle of the main stand at Eden Park realising that Auckland were settling for a bonus point meaning the Shield was ours. That Shield that had evaded us for so long and in so many unique ways, was finally back down the road. Then at Bay Park, a speedway track, the next weekend watching David Hill have an absolute shocker as we somehow clung onto it for another week.

But something has been going on the last few years, you’ve been consistently good. Winning games comfortably, beating the “big boys”, playing great footy. You’ve been fun to watch. Sure, you’ve still done some very BOP things, losing a Shield challenge in golden point goes into the hall of fame but moments like that are the exception in this era.

You’ve built a team of local boys, of well nabbed imports, of Sevens players looking for a fifteens gig. You’ve built a team that connects with its community and plays the game with a smile on its face. As I sat and watched you demolish Canterbury, yes Canterbury (you’re welcome New Zealand) on Saturday I marveled at how it just seemed like what was next. Gone are the days when a playoff appearance was the goal. You want to win this thing.

And you know what? You can. You have it all. The tight five full of Super Rugby finals experience. The back row of tyros looking to prove a point. The experienced and talented 9/10 combo. The international midfield combo of the veteran and our superstar. Then a back three that can run round and through you. You’ve got it all.

On Saturday you had 5,000 people fill our tinpot “stadium”, but a stadium and an event experience that has shown the country the way ahead when it comes to this competition. Those 5,000 people will have your back on Saturday, along with thousands others. The ghosts of the past don’t bother you. You have your own history to write, our first final. No more baggage, this is brand new territory. Enjoy it. Win it. You’ve made us dream, now just one more.

CMON THE BAY!!!!!!!!!

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