Tupapa Panthers are going for a rare double in the Cook Islands Rugby League Rarotonga 13s competition but standing in their way are the mighty Avatiu Nikao Eels and Arorangi Bears.

After an intense preliminary round and knockout competition, the final four teams in the premier men’s and senior women’s divisions will battle it out for ultimate victory at the National Stadium in Nikao this afternoon.

In a battle of the neighbours, the Panthers will take on the Eels in the men’s final while defending champions Lady Bears will play Lady Panthers in the women’s final.

The Eels star player Tamatoa Nicholas says they are excited to reach the final, adding they have put in a lot of hard work in this week’s training.

Nicholas said the Panthers have a strong physical side.

The Eels defeated defending champions Arorangi Bears 30-14 last week to make the final.

Nicholas said the Bears’ challenge was quite intense, but they had no choice but to win to make the grand final.

“Everyone is pretty excited but also relaxed at the same time. Hard work was done at training this week but also there was a lot of laughter so the environment and energy were good this week,” he said.

“I would like to ask everyone who have supported us this season to come and support and show some love.”

The Panthers look to replicate their success from the top-place knockouts two weeks ago, where they triumphed 26-14 over the Eels, securing a direct path to the final.

Panthers player Savenaca Buresova said the break didn’t slow them down for training.

“We knew we still had one more job left to do, and I think that was a good thing as well. It just brought us closer as a team and complete what we started this year.”

Buresova said the players are raring to take the field for the final.

“For the ones who are going out there, we believe in them and they know that they can do the job.”

However, he is wary of the Eels and said their biggest challenge would be their attacking phases, trying to control the game around them and continuing with their game plan.

Buresova is also wary of the speed in the Eels side.

Lady Bears aim to defend title against eager Panthers

Despite finishing the round robin winless, the Lady Bears found their winning form when it mattered most, defeating the Lady Bulldogs 16-10 in last weekend’s semifinal.

The Lady Panthers, runners-up to the Bears last year, are eager to reclaim the title. After overcoming the Lady Bulldogs in the knockouts to secure a direct final berth, they’re ready to face the Bears' challenge.

Lady Bears’ Courtney Napa, left, and Lady Panthers’ Kiana Sword-Tua with the Rarotonga 13s competition women’s trophy. LOSIRENE LACANIVALU/24051084

Lady Panthers co-captain Kiana Sword-Tua said: “I think the girls are excited, especially since we’ve had a few new girls that have joined our team since last year’s finals. So, I think the team is amped and can’t wait to get on the field.”

Sword-Tua said the win against the Bulldogs was a positive sign, giving them an extra week to rest and prepare for the showdown.

“I think the team is feeling really refreshed and ready to go,” she said. “I think throughout the season we’ve had a lot of challenges that have come our way, but we’ve just pushed through and that’s where we are today. 

“We just need to focus on playing our own game and not letting anything get to our heads.” 

Lady Bears captain Courtney Napa said the team regained their confidence after their win last week.

Napa explained they had a strong build-up heading into the semifinals against the Lady Bulldogs, which translated well onto the field. They have also managed to get all their players together.

This season proved challenging for the Lady Bears as several players departed overseas for study and work and the team leaned heavily on their talented young under-16 players to step up and lead.

Heading into today’s clash, Napa says they are “feeling confident and pretty hungry”.

“What’s been really great about our season so far is game on game we’ve shown improvement. We didn’t always get the result that we wanted but from the beginning of the season until now, each game we’ve managed to close the gap and improve.”

Speaking of their challenge in the final, Napa said: “The Panthers are an aggressive team. They play really confidently and really aggressively attacking space.”

“For us, completion is always important, reducing errors is always important. There were a few errors in our game last week, so we've been working on tidying a lot of those up and really just making sure that we don’t give them the space that they like to have.”

Lady Panthers veteran player Julieanne (Julz) Westrupp says there is no doubt that the Lady Bears will be all out to defend their trophy.

“It doesn’t matter how well you’ve done during the season. It’s the final game that counts. We’ve learnt our lesson from last year and are determined not to repeat that again,” Westrupp said.

“We are humbled to have made it to the finals and are ready for this game. We have a good team and have trained hard this week. We will leave the rest to the Lord.”

Fixtures

Today at the National Stadium: 9.30am Junior Development 6-12 years (turning 12 this year); 11.15am Mix Girls White-Mix Girls Black; 12.15pm U14 Panthers-Sea Eagles; 1.15pm U16 Sea Eagles-Panthers; 2.30pm Women Panthers-Bears; 4pm Premier Men Panthers-Eels.