As the finals of the Vodafone Super Deans competition concluded last Saturday at the HFC Bank Stadium, the participating teams left their mark on history. Biu Colati, the vice-president of the Fiji Secondary Schools Rugby Union, expressed his thoughts on the event, noting that many teams achieved significant milestones.
Colati highlighted the achievements of various schools, including Ratu Kadavulevu School, which claimed victory in the under-14 category by defeating Mahatma Gandhi Memorial High School 22-8. Additionally, Lami High School triumphed in the U19 category with a narrow 20-19 win over Queen Victoria School.
He emphasized that rankings from local zones do not accurately reflect performances, pointing out Lelean Memorial School’s impressive run in the U16 category, where they reached the final against Suva Grammar School and secured a win of 29-12.
“Rankings mean little; teams like Lelean have shown that even when they were third, they could still reach the final,” Colati remarked.
Beyond the mentioned schools, others also achieved notable milestones in this year’s competition. MGM High School advanced to the U14 final after overcoming QVS and Lelean. In the U19 final, the underdogs Lami High School shocked the favored QVS in front of an enthusiastic crowd.
Adi Cakobau School made history by reaching the Weet-Bix Raluve Trophy U18 final for the first time, while Niusawa Methodist High School from Taveuni also reached the U16 final for the first time, marking a significant accomplishment as they were the only northern school to do so. Niusawa faced the 2022 champions, Natabua High School, in a closely contested match but ultimately lost 20-15.
Colati noted these achievements as positive indicators for all schools and teams this season. The FSSRU looks forward to another exciting season as more schools compete for the prestigious Deans trophy.