In a thrilling clash that had fans cheering from the sidelines, the Arorangi Bears prevailed over the defending champions, Avatiu Nikao Eels, 26-22 in the highly anticipated week eight round of the Cook Islands Rugby League Rarotonga 13s competition.

From the kick-off, the intensity was evident as both teams displayed their ability and determination on Saturday.

The bruising close encounter at Raemaru Park, the home ground of the Bears, was a roller coaster of emotions, featuring two sinbins – one from each side – that added to the drama and tension on the field.

As the Bears celebrated their hard-fought success, the Eels displayed incredible resilience, making this game a standout in the weekly competition.

Bears player Albert Etuete, who received the most valuable player (MVP) award for the round, scored a try, displayed strong defence and ball-running skills, made line breaks, and provided tackle assists. His high work rate on the field played a significant role in the Bears’ victory.

In the CIRL post-match interview, the Bears co-captain Andrew Purua stated, “it was good to see our hard work pay off,” but acknowledged that there is still a long way to go.

He emphasised that the win demonstrated “how hard they had to work and the effort required to reach their goals”.

“We’ll take the win” he said, and noted that there were many lessons to learn from this game.

Purua said that throughout the season, they had been allowing the referees to make too many decisions during their games.

“So, it’s important to take control away from them and maintain discipline with and without the ball.”

Eels captain Li Ponini said their team had some ups and downs in the game, with moments where they played really well.

Ponini said they showed strong team work in both attack and defence; however, the issues largely came from a lack of discipline and errors, resulting in too many dropped balls and penalties.

“Big ups to the Bears, they really gave it to us … respect really,” said Ponini. “Respect the ball, respect your own teammates, respect the opposition. Come here full of energy and play a good hard game, but clean, that’s pretty much it, just respect.”

The Takuvaine Warriors after their match against the Ngatangiia Matavera Sea Eagles. MELINA ETCHES/25033014

In the first premier men’s match on Saturday, the Ngatangiia Matavera Sea Eagles defeated the spirited Takuvaine Warriors 52-28.

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On Friday afternoon, the slick and swift Tupapa Panthers retained their unbeaten run, proving too classy at Teimurimotia Park, thrashing the Titikaveka Bulldogs 52–4.

Panthers captain Eric Newbigging said, “I’m pretty happy with our performance.”

“We have been putting a lot of effort during training, but there are still areas we need to improve, such as ball discipline and our defence,” Newbigging said.

“Being undefeated doesn’t mean we’re the best. We will work on our game plan next (this) week and go from there.”

Bulldogs co-captain Timothy Tangirere said they aimed to approach every game with the same mindset.

Tangirere said they anticipated a challenging game against the Panthers.

He expressed that the Bulldogs have what it takes, but they need to start strong, especially against formidable teams like the Panthers, and maintain that momentum throughout the game.

In the women’s match, the Lady Panthers managed to defeat the Lady Bears 16-12. The Lady Bears won the previous two matches.

The Most Valuable Player award went to the sprightly Kiana Sword-Tua from the village of Tupapa.

Sword was ever-present on defence, accomplished many tackles and tackle assists, was an agile ball runner and was quick at recovering the ball. Her huge work rate on the field assisted the Lady Panthers in securing a win.

Results

Tupapa Maraerenga Panthers 52 Titikaveka Bulldogs 4, Ngatangiia Matavera Sea Eagles 52 Takuvaine Warriors 28, Arorangi Bears 26 Avatiu Eels 22. Lady Panthers 16 Lady Bears 12.