IN A nail-biting encounter that went right down to the wire, Ratu Latinara College secured a last-minute try near the uprights to clinch a hard-fought 12-8 victory against a determined Namosi Secondary School side.
This win earned them the Southern Zone Fiji Secondary School Rugby League Girls Open Grade title at the St Marcelin Primary School grounds in Vatuwaqa on the weekend.
Despite the heavy downpour and muddy conditions, both teams demonstrated immense hunger and determination, braving the elements to put on an impressive display for the many fans in attendance.
Head coach Ratu Seru Kuriyalavou credited their strong preparation leading up to the final as the cornerstone of their success.
“The girls have put on the hard yards in training from school, and we just displayed today what the girls have been working on,” he said.
“Even though there was a lot of challenges and it was a really tough match, the girls were composed and managed to pull through in the final whistle.”
Tied 8-8 in the final minute, Kuriyalavou delivered a simple but effective message to inspire his team to score the decisive try.
“The message to the girls was to stay cool, and like I have said before, we have rehearsed these types of sessions before in school that in the final stages it will be very tough, so when Namosi lead, the girls stuck together, worked really hard and the results spoke of itself,” he explained.
Trailing 0-4 at halftime, captain Narrel Bolei urged the girls to remain confident and trust their processes.
“At half time the message was to remain positive and to never give up and in the second half we managed to score the wining try in the last minute this was something I did not dream will happen, but I thank God for the win today,” she said.
The efforts of both teams under such unfavourable conditions promise even more thrilling action at the upcoming national championships this week.
