THE Ratu Latianara College under-16 Raluve team will feature in the grade’s final at the Weet-Bix Raluve Competition on Saturday in Suva for the first time.
Based in Korovisilou, Serua, the team of determined young female ruggers booked their ticket into the final after toppling Adi Cakobau School 12-10 in the semi-finals last Saturday.
The team had sought their way into the national elimination stages after a successful run in the Southern Zone competition.
In the Southern Zone finals, they won by technicality over Lomaivuna High School after drawing 17-all with Ratu Latianara scoring first.
Leaping onto the national
quarter-finals they beat Navatu Secondary School 31-5 to qualify for the semi-finals.
After their win over ACS last week, head coach Ratu Vidika Kuriyalavou says the plan this week is to examine their overall performance.
“We have to go back to our drawing board. We understand that there has been a lot of weaknesses and also strengths,” Kuriyalavou shared after their semi-final win.
“It will always go back to the drawing board. We believe that we train the way we play and we play the way we train.”
Meanwhile, their opponents Sigatoka Methodist, who are the defending champions, made a resounding statement last week with a 29-0 win over Dreketi Central College.
The team’s title defence is a solid one, having thumped their Western Zone opponents before they thrashed Lomaivuna High School 43-12 in the quarter-finals.
Sigatoka Methodist also includes amateur boxer and double Fiji Sports Awards 2024 nominee Merewalesi Kolitapa.
The final between Ratu Latianara College and Sigatoka Methodist High School will be played at the HFC Bank Stadium.