THE Viria Blues emerged victorious in the 2025 Flame Tree Waimanu Sevens, defeating the Vuna Brothers 14-5 in a tightly contested final at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva last Saturday.
The first few minutes were evenly matched until indiscipline from the Vuna Brothers resulted in a penalty try for Viria Blues.
With a Vuna player temporarily off the field, Viria capitalised on their numerical advantage, scoring a well-coordinated team try to lead 14-0 at halftime.
The Vuna Brothers fought back fiercely in the second half.
Their rush defence forced a turnover, allowing their winger to sprint and score a try near the uprights.
With a successful conversion, the score tightened to 14-7 with just two minutes remaining.
Wet conditions led to costly handling errors for both teams.
With only a minute left, Vuna earned a penalty scrum inside Viria’s 10-metre zone but lost possession.
Viria Blues then kicked out to secure the win and claim the inaugural Flame Tree Waimanu 7s title.
Viria Blues captain Seru Tamanikaibau praised the Vuna Brothers for their resilience and credited the team’s success to faith and teamwork.
“Firstly, I want to thank the Lord for the talent He has given us. Without His providence, this victory wouldn’t have been possible,” he said.
Leading 14-7 at half time the message was clear from the coaches
“Work together as a team, play for each other, lessen individual play, and stick to the game plan,” Tamanikaibau shared.
This historic win marks the Viria Blues as the first champions of the Flame Tree Waimanu 7s, which will adopt this one-off format as its annual competition style moving forward.
