Rugby league is thriving in the Bay of Plenty with the start of the junior league at Puketawhero Park.
Junior Rugby League manager Veena Kameta says that a lot of work has been put in by NZRL to help the zones develop the sport in their region.
“It's all about the learning and the development we have really worked hard on that we have actually increased in two grades this year and we can successfully say we've got under six's all the way to 14's”, says Kameta.
The junior mini mod division encourages clubs to develop the sport with in their members.
Epiphany Cassin who is a member of the Pikiao Rugby League Club says clubs are seeing the rewards from entering teams into this division.
“We've got a couple of kids from our team, our club Pikiao that has been scouted for the Penrith Panthers”, says Cassin.
The junior mini mod division is played at the Puketawhero fields every Sunday morning and attracts over two hundred people each week.