The under-16 team from Ba Methodist High School utilized old tires and ropes for their training in preparation for the Vodafone Super Deans tournament held last Saturday. Despite suffering a defeat of 8-30 against the more physically imposing Ratu Kadavulevu School, the team viewed the match as a significant learning opportunity.
Assistant coach Paula Rokotuiloma expressed pride in the team’s accomplishments, especially for reaching the cup quarterfinals. He stated, “It’s a learning opportunity for us, and we will come back stronger next year.”
Rokotuiloma highlighted the numerous challenges the team faced but noted that these did not demoralize the players, who remained dedicated. “We didn’t have enough resources to prepare the boys. We had to improvise using items around the school, like ropes and tires, to get the boys in shape. We could only train for one hour each afternoon after school, which also included road runs.”
Despite the loss, he is optimistic about returning next year. The team’s journey included a victory over Natabua in the zone semi-finals and a second-place finish against Ba Provincial High School. “This year was a challenging journey for us, but thanks to the boys’ hard work and the support from parents and guardians, we were able to reach the national quarter-finals,” he added. Notably, this marks the first time that an under-16 team from Ba Methodist High School has progressed to the national quarter-finals.