The junior and under-19 grades of the Vodafone Deans competition saw a mixture of winners emerge after their respective 70-minute spectacles at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva yesterday.
In the under-14 grade, Queen Victoria School won the trophy after defeating Suva Grammar School 17-15.
The win by the men from Matavatucou sees them break an 11-year-jinx, and adds to the greater significance of them being the only QVS team to reach the finals of the Deans competition this year.
For Suva Grammar, it was the end of a dominant journey for the team when they first appeared in the Southern Zone competition, then the national quarter-finals in the West and the semi-finals in Suva more than a week ago.
In the under-15 grade, Grammar beat Mahatma Gandhi Memorial School 27-24. For the young men from Vatuwaqa, it was a difficult moment for them to take as they were consoled by their parents and guardians, who congratulated them on exhibiting a dynamic performance against their Veiuto opponents.
Following their exit from the field, the under-16 finalists Grammar and Gospel High School ran on and played 70 minutes rugby of a match that swung in favour of Grammar with a 40-8 win.
In the under-17 grade, Ratu Kadavulevu School won 31-22 over Lelean Memorial School in a rigid yet fast-paced match where there were hardly any opportunities for either side to set a definite lead or a wide gap on the scoreboard.
The finals were played in front of a sold-out crowd and officials announced the venue’s closure for interested ticket buyers shortly after 3pm yesterday.