The Kunaye Flames pulled off a gritty 12-8 victory over the City Roosters in a highly entertaining nail-biting battle to clinch the 2025 Ents Lihir 9s Rugby League tournament on Sunday, January 12th, at the Londolovit Oval in Lihir, New Ireland Province.
After being dormant for some years due to a lack of sponsorship, among other reasons, the 9s tournament made its return to the bustling town of Lihir, converging hundreds of mad fans and the participating teams to showcase and enjoy the 9s rugby league spectacle from January 10-12.
A tightly contested first half saw the Roosters take an 8-4 lead against the Flames. The Flames revved their engine in the second half and made a late comeback to equalize the margin at 8 points apiece, pushing the decider to extra time.
Six added minutes were given, splitting 3 minutes for each half. The first 3 minutes of the extra time was physical and intense, leaving the points unchanged. With a minute to go before the final 3 minutes lapsed, the Flames scored a match-winner to seal the deal.
The champions (Flames) walked away with the Cup, as well as a K5,000 prize money, while the runners-up (Roosters) received a consolation prize money of K3,000 with a trophy.
Kunaye Flames captain, Conrad Suar said it was a hard-fought win for them, praising his teammates for sticking together as a team until the final whistle and completing their mission to claim the bragging rights.
Tournament coordinator, Freddie Hong expressed satisfaction with the result of the two-day nine-a-side sporting event, thanking the major sponsor and the participating teams for hosting a peaceful tourney.
“I would like to thank everyone involved in hosting a successful and peaceful Ents 9s tournament. The participating teams and the fans have behaved themselves well throughout the tournament,” Hong said.
“The major sponsor is pleased with the outcome of the tournament, and I’m happy that we’ve ended everything on a high note, despite facing a few challenges.”
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