A man has been critically injured in a suspected stabbing during an assault in Tauranga this morning.

Police were called to reports of a serious assault at an address in Belk Rd in the city, around 4.40am, where the 41-year-old man was found injured.

He was rushed to Tauranga Hospital in a critical condition, with injuries that were believed to have been the result of a stabbing, police said.

He has since been transferred to Waikato Hospital.

A 32-year-old man known to the victim is currently assisting police with their enquiries.

The property on Belk Rd would be examined by forensic specialists today, police said.