Horowhenua-Kapiti celebrated their elevation to the top tier of the Heartland rugby championship with a 44-3 win over East Coast in Ruatoria today.
A bonus-point seven-try win saw last year's Lochore Cup beaten finalists finish second in their pool behind defending Meads Cup champions Wanganui, with only one loss from their last five matches.
East Coast, in contrast, struggled throughout and finished round-robin play with out a point.
Ahead 15-3 at halftime, Horowhenua-Kapiti made hard work of the game until their forwards finally got on the front foot midway through the second spell.
Given some extra room, the backs relished the extra space and finished with a flourish for the most emphatic of victories.
