MRM Saints claim titles in Western rugby sevens

By ROBINSON LEKA
THE MRM Saints claimed back-to-back titles in the Western Satellite sevens tournament after beating the Ose Kings 19-5 in the third leg cup final at Parr Tiwi village, South Fly, on Sunday.
This is the Saints’ second title following their 26-14 over the Sewirimabu Seeds during the second leg of the tournament last weekend.
The Parr Tiwi Cup was the final leg of the tournament involving 40 teams across the district participating over the weekend.
Barnabas Darpenang from Parr Tiwi team two claimed the tournament’s golden boot while Gerison Sauna from runners-up Ose Kings claimed the man-of-the-match award in the cup final.
Tournament official Petero Kilori told The National yesterday that the tournament ended on a high note in Parr Tiwi with teams from the district showcasing the talent from their area in rugby.
“The MRM Saints won back-to-back titles in the cup final now and they’ve also been top performers in the mid-year satellite sevens which is a great show of talent from the players here,” he said.
“The tournament chairman and committee are looking forward to hosting four more events this year and the response from teams participating has been overwhelming.
“It’s all about identifying the raw talents in rural areas and also keeping youths away from other activities.
“Rugby is a very good tool to change mindsets and it helps bring the community closer while involving everyone in the sport.”
The tournament kicked off on Dec 24 with Masingara, Sewirimabu and Parr Tiwi hosting a leg each over the past three weekends.