The Fiji Secondary Schools Rugby Union Vodafone Super Deans under-19 semi-final between Naitasiri Secondary School and Queen Victoria School ended in confusion over the winner and rule application. The match concluded with both teams tied at 24-24, leading Naitasiri and its supporters to believe they had clinched a place in the final due to their score of the first try, in line with the FSSRU’s Terms of Participation.
However, shortly after, Queen Victoria School celebrated as officials declared them the victors. The match commissioner informed both teams’ managers that according to section 9.11 of the Terms of Participation, the team scoring the most tries in the event of a tie is declared the winner. QVS had four tries compared to Naitasiri’s three.
The situation escalated when Naitasiri’s parents and supporters stormed the field, demanding explanations and accusing the FSSRU of bias. Police had to escort the match commissioner to safety amidst the turmoil, as players called for a rematch.
Navitalai Waiwalu, an executive member of FSSRU, clarified that the rules had been consistently applied since the previous year and that all participating zones were consulted regarding the regulations. Naitasiri’s team manager, Akanisi Liku, eventually accepted the outcome, acknowledging their misunderstanding of the rules.
Naitasiri had initially led the game 17-7 at halftime, scoring two converted tries and a penalty, followed by another converted try in the second half to extend their lead to 24-7. However, QVS staged a comeback with three unconverted tries, ending the match in a draw without additional scoring.
According to FSSRU regulations, if a match ends in a tie, the process of identifying the winner involves checking the number of tries, followed by the number of converted tries, and finally the first try scored, among other criteria.