Ba Methodist High School Saints U17 booked their place in the Vodafone West Secondary School Rugby League U17 final after overpowering local rivals Ba Provincial School Dragons 22-12 in the feature semi-final at Churchill Park yesterday. The win sets up a title clash with Sigatoka Mission Knights, who earlier edged Sigatoka Valley 16-10 in the first U17 semi-final.
The Ba-based Saints dominated from the outset, controlling possession and territory to build a 12-0 half-time cushion. Seruvi Vakalolo spearheaded the attack, crossing for two tries, while teammates Peniasi Balabala and Isoa Nukunidreke each added a try in the second half as the Saints maintained their momentum. Aporosa Ragata slotted two conversions and Taniela Kunarara added a third to take the final tally to 22 points.
Ba Provincial managed to rally in the latter stages, with Jolami Nakaloulevu and Kaminieli Ratumaiyale breaching the Saints’ defence for two tries. Jayden Tupou converted both efforts, but the Dragons were unable to overturn the deficit as the Saints’ physicality and fitness prevailed. The final whistle confirmed a 22-12 victory for Ba Methodist.
Manager Isikeli Navuni applauded his side’s performance and preparation, noting clear improvement on previous outings. “We want to give praise and glory to God Almighty. It was a tough game and hats off to the Ba Pro boys for a good match. We did a lot of work coming into this and improved on our past mistakes. Thanks to the boys for a brilliant and outstanding game,” Navuni said.
Sigatoka Mission’s 16-10 semi-final success over Sigatoka Valley came in an earlier fixture, with the Knights holding on to secure their spot in the decider. That result means the U17 final will pit Ba Methodist’s robust, ball-dominant unit against a Sigatoka side that showed resilience in a tight contest.
There was also action in the U15 grade at Churchill Park. Sigatoka Mission continued their strong showing across grades with a 10-0 victory over Xavier, while Central Storms produced a narrow 8-4 win over Ba Provincial Dragons to claim the other U15 final berth. Those results set up an U15 final between Sigatoka Mission and Central Storms.
The semi-final outcomes underline a weekend of strong performances from Sigatoka Mission across age groups and reinforce Ba Methodist’s standing as a leading force in the West competition. Finals dates and kick-off times were not provided by organisers yesterday, but teams will now turn their attention to final preparations as they aim to lift the regional crowns.
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