THE Saint Vincent College under-16 Raluve team will use the lessons and experience from their 7-19 loss to Adi Cakobau School in the Eastern Zone Secondary Schools under-16 Raluve final at HFC Bank Stadium in Suva last Saturday as motivation for redemption during this week’s national Raluve quarter-finals.
Despite the defeat, the team heads into the national play-offs with plenty of confidence and determination to improve on their performance from the Eastern Zone final.
SVC struggled to contain a clinical ACS side in the opening spell and trailed at half-time without troubling the scoreboard.
However, the team responded with greater purpose after the break, scoring their only try and applying sustained pressure, but ACS held firm to seal the title.
For team manager Salote Nainoka, the result did little to overshadow what has been a remarkable journey for a squad made up largely of girls experiencing rugby for the first time.
“I’m really proud of the girls, their achievement, and how far we have come as a team to reach the final,” Nainoka said.
She added that the team’s progress was even more significant given rugby’s traditional status as a male-dominated sport.
“It’s a male-dominated sport, and I’m proud of what the girls have achieved. They have really grown in the game and have given their best to come this far,” she said.
With the Eastern Zone campaign now complete, SVC has turned its focus to the national quarter-finals, where the side hopes to build on its encouraging performances.
Nainoka has called on supporters to continue backing the team as the girls chase national honours.
