Spartans claim title

By BRADLEY MARIORI
1134 Spartans beat fellow Lae outfit Buimo Snipers 8-4 to claim the Coca-Cola Ipatas Cup, the country’s biggest off-season rugby league competition in the Morobe capital on Sunday.
Spartans bagged K50,000 and the Cup while Snipers took home K25,000.
The third-place playoff was put off and the prize money shared between the two teams after an incident on Saturday. At total of 174 teams participated in the competition nationwide.
In the women’s division, Wabag’s Gateway Bombers beat Buimo Snipers 8-4 to claim top spot and K8,000 while Snipers finished second with K4,000. Goroka Spartans walked away with K2,000 for finishing third and Enga’s Panda Maylam sealed fourth spot with K1,000.
Coca-Cola Amatil Papua New Guinea Limited’s Simon Robinson when congratulating the Spartans challenged Snipers to come back stronger next season.
“I’d like to thank the other sponsors for backing the competition,” he said.
“It was a wonderful and entertaining match. We are looking forward to supporting rugby league in PNG for many years to come.”
1134 Spartans team manager Mikes Bire thanked Buimo Snipers for putting up a strong challenge and said the game was not about money but for the purpose of exposing young talents.
“You gave my boys a strong game,” he said.
“It’s not about money but this competition is helping to expose young talents. I’d like to thank (competition patron) Sir Peter Ipatas for the initiative which has paved the way for many young rugby league talents.”