Valley Hunters Start CRU Preseason Strong

The 2024 Capital Rugby Union (CRU) champions, Valley Hunters began their two preseason games on a positive note, registering a win over the Harlequins last weekend (February 22) and pulling off another win against the Juggernauts on the weekend (March 1) to put the competition on notice.

Dusting off the cobwebs in their second outing against the Juggernauts on the weekend, the Frank Genia-coached outfit and Juggernauts were equal to the task, with the Valley men taking a slight 17-10 lead at half-time.

However, both sides were clunky in the second half, even though the points came begging. The fundamental errors from both teams made either side struggle to cross the finish line, leaving the full-time score unchanged (17-10). 

Despite the win, coach Frank Genia noted that their performance was scrappy, but he was pleased with the Valley Hunters’ relentless defense in particular, which saw them run away with a 7-point victory. 

“The performance was rusty but has improved from last weekend’s game. It’s good to give the players a run out to dust off the cobwebs and learn our new systems for this year,” he said.

“I was happy with the commitment and desperation in our defense for the second half. It's good learning for the men who are new to the team and systems.”

Coach Genia fielded a mixture of experienced players and emerging talents to assess the playing group and assemble a formidable team to resume the season proper in April while setting their sights on defending the top honors.