The USP Raiders under-12 rugby league team defeated the Makoi Bulldogs 20-0 in the Vodafone Cup yesterday.
Its most recent round for the junior grade was held at the Veiuto Primary School grounds in Suva.
The Raiders were well-placed on their defence, fielding rigid walls of young strength that held off any opportunity for the Bulldogs to break through.
Made up of youngsters from around the Suva-Nasinu area, the team ensured they made a solidifying mark on the field in one of the first matches of a long day of competition.
Team coach Asaeli Saravaki acknowledged the efforts of his young side, adding their participation was an integral component of their learning process.
“We’re not here to go for the competition, we’ll just come and keep them together and just build some skills,” Saravaki said.
He also shared some areas in which the team shone through during the gutsy contest.
“Our run-ins and our play-the-ball is very good from our dummy half and to the props and second row,” he added.
As the competition progresses, he shared points on which areas the team also needed to work on.
“We are going to work on our defence, and especially our attack,” he said.
While their win was a highlight for him, he highlighted the fair share of challenges that accompanied their preparation.
“It’s very hard because most of these players, they didn’t rugby league themselves or have a background in rugby league.
“For us Fijians, we all play (rugby) union and we have to build up our juniors.”
When they ran out to the field yesterday, he reminded them to enjoy the game.
“I already told them just to enjoy the game, especially for the juniors to keep it up and stay together,” he recalled.
He thanked the parents and guardians of the players for their support in turning up to cheer on the team every Saturday.
