Devo Babas held on to retain the Fiji Bitter Marist 7s crown after a tense 12-10 victory over Army in the cup final last night. The defending champions took a slim 12-10 lead in the first half and then withstood sustained pressure from Army in a second period defined by desperate raids and staunch defence.
Both sides had multiple opportunities to score throughout the match, but defences repeatedly snuffed out promising attacks. Devo opened the scoring and built their narrow advantage before halftime; Army replied to keep the contest finely poised. The second half turned into a scrappy, nerve-jangling affair as Army launched a series of aggressive forays in search of a match-winning break, only to be repelled by the Devo backline and opportunistic tackling in the breakdown.
As the clock wound down the tempo never eased. Devo defended their lead with gritty, organised play, forcing turnovers and slowing the ball when required. Army’s late surges tested the champions repeatedly, but time and again they were unable to convert pressure into points. When the final hooter sounded, Devo sealed the result in style — kicking the ball into the stands as the match ended — a symbolic release of tension after the narrow win.
The victory confirms Devo Babas as back-to-back winners of the Marist 7s and underlines their standing in Fiji’s busy sevens calendar, where club-level tournaments remain a vital proving ground for local talent. The Marist 7s, sponsored by Fiji Bitter, has produced tightly contested finals in recent seasons and last night’s result continued that trend, with defence and discipline deciding the day.
For Army, the loss will sting after coming so close, but their performance highlighted their capacity to trouble top sides and will be a platform to build on in upcoming events. For Devo, preserving the title provides momentum and local bragging rights as the sevens community moves on to the next tournaments in the series.
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