Kirwan State High School left no stones unturned when they thumbed the Fiji National Rugby League (FNRL) West Academy side 43-4 during their final match in Fiji on Monday.
The Queensland school from Australia deprived the West Academy of any tries in the first half with a 26-nil lead during the match at Albert Park.
The favourable weather and added rugby skills allowed the visiting side to swiftly add points to the score board early, maintaing a solid performance and ending their 2023 Fiji tour on a high note.
The Kirwan Bears, who lost their first match against the FNRL South East Academy side last week 14-10, didn’t want a repeated loss this week.
Last week, the team had struggled to show their rugby flair as the FNRL South East Academy denied them a try in the first half of the match with an 8-nil lead in the first half.
The weather wasn’t as favourable for the side’s first match in Fiji but they adjusted quickly to come back with a victory in their second match.
This week, the visiting side proved that they are one of the top premier rugby league academy schools in North Queensland by beating the West Academy side in their final game.
The two matches will not only be memorable for the Kirwan High School players but they will be treasured by the local boys too.
Playing for the Kirwan Bears are Eparama Kikau, a former Marist Brothers High School student and Aisake Manna, a former Suva Grammar School student.
Fiji Secondary School Rugby League media officer Laisiasa Corerega said Kirwan State High School made a historical visit to Fiji as they brought a number of talented young players.
“A few of these players have been signed to the National Rugby League clubs such as the Queensland Cowboys,” he said.
“Today’s (June 19) game showed that it is important to learn the basics of the game. “Simple rugby league basics like proper passing, defense, tackling and line runs.
“Our Fijian boys learned a lot and also played a tough game.
“The FNRL South East Academy won the first game and Kirwan State High School won the second game. It was a thriller of a match.
“We want to thank our major sponsor Vodafone Fiji for supporting school boys’ rugby league in Fiji.”
The visiting side is a ten times Aaron Payne Cup champion, five times Queensland champion and two times Australian champion in the sport.
They had also qualified for the Australian Final in 2020 but could not play due to COVID-19.
The academy is recognised in Australia for its elite high-performance.
