The sporting gene of multi-talented Natabua High School sprinter, swimmer and rugby player Ofa Lagonilakeba crowned her school as the inaugural queen of the Fiji Secondary Schools Rugby Union Raluve Championship under-18 competition at Churchill Park in Lautoka on Saturday.
Natabua beat neighbours Jasper Williams High School 10-5.
The victory came from nippy Lagonilakeba, a star of the 2022 Coca-Cola Games who clocked around 1.77 seconds in the 100 metres. She outran the opposition on a slippery and water-logged Churchill Park turf after the sides were locked 5-all.
Rain marred the performance of the teams, but Jasper Williams’ Mela Turaga put her side ahead before halftime with her try to lead 5-0 at the break. Natabua halfback Sereana Lee dived over minutes into the second spell, but the conditions would not allow her try to be converted.
Jasper 5- 5 Natabua. Both sides tried their best, but the slippery conditions did not help as players faced the under-footing heavy and rain affecting vision of play.
In the end it was Lagonilakeba, who was at the receiving end of a Natabua sweep to speed past her opponents for the game winner.
Natabua won 10-5. The sprint queen said winning the title was a gift as being their final year at the school.
“All of us had puffed out towards the last five minutes. Most of us are final year students, so to us it was now or never. “We played as a team and absorbed everything Jasper gave us. End of the day the best team wins,” she recalled after the final. “It was raining and the coach told us just to go out there and enjoy ourselves. Really, the weather affected our game plan.
“We kept encouraging each other saying: ‘Now or never’ to each other. When I received that ball close to full time, I told myself ‘Now or never.’ I held the ball firmly not to drop it and eyed the tryline. I did not think of being tackled or pushed out.
“I focused on the tryline through the rain, summoned all my strength and ran as fast as I could towards the line. We did it and we made amends where the boys left off last week.
“The win is for everyone at our school starting from the principal, teachers, students and our families. Thank you for trusting us.”
Results: U14: RKS 27-19 MBHS, U15: RKS 15-12 QVS, U16: QVS 27-17 SGS, U17: SGS 8-3 MBHS,U19; Ra High 15-8 Rt Navula, U18: MBHS 9-8 SGS. Raluve Championship: U16: Sigatoka 12-10 Naitasiri, U18: Natabua 10-5 Jasper Williams.
