Lami High School made history on Saturday by winning their first U19 Vodafone Super Deans title in the inaugural Secondary Schools Rugby competition, edging out the formidable Queen Victoria School with a score of 20-19 at the HFC Bank Stadium.
The match began with Lami taking an early lead thanks to a penalty kick, establishing a 3-0 advantage. Queen Victoria School quickly retaliated with a try from Rupeni Cabenapaipo, briefly putting them ahead.
Just before halftime, Lami’s Tunoa Qerea scored, giving his team a lead of 8-5 as they headed into the break.
During the second half, Isoa Laulaba extended Lami’s lead with another try, though they missed the subsequent conversion attempt. Queen Victoria School responded fiercely with two tries from players Lemeki Racava and Josaia Tuinabouwaqa, with one conversion successfully completed, bringing QVS ahead at 19-13.
In an exciting finish, Lami rallied in the final moments, with Anare Vakasausau scoring a pivotal try and successfully converting it, leading to a thrilling 20-19 victory and earning them their historic U19 title.