Brothers Shrug off Piggies to Defend Aduni Cup

The annual Aduni Cup clash between the Kramer APAC Brothers and Fincorp University Piggies saw the brethren hold off the determined men in blue to a 24-15 win to retain the bragging rights in round 6 of the Pepsi Capital Rugby Union (CRU) competition Premier Grade on Saturday, May 17th, 2025, at Bava Park.

Aduni stands for Administration College and University. The Brothers and Piggies are two of the foundational clubs in PNG’s rugby union circle, who were once playing under the University Rugby Union Club, which was birthed in 1965. The team later split to form the Brothers Rugby Union Club in 1974. They were once friends who now become foes. 

To honor their rich legacy and rivalry, the Aduni Cup was established in 2017, with the Piggies claiming the inaugural title. The Brothers exacted revenge on the Piggies and defended the cup from 2018-2019. The men in blue reclaimed the cup in 2020, and the Brothers won it again in 2021. The Piggies stole the cup in 2022, and the Brothers held the cup from 2023-2025. In their eight-year clash of the annual Aduni Cup, the Brothers were victorious five times while the Piggies won three times.

With their rivalry dating back to the early 1960s and the importance of the Aduni Cup, the highly-anticipated match lived up to its billing in the opening 40 minutes of play as the two rivals rose to the occasion and fought for the annual cup. A slugfest contest in the first half saw the Piggies score an unconverted try, with the Brothers taking a three-point penalty, leaving the score at 5-3 in the break. 

Both sides lifted the tempo and intensity of their respective performances in the second half. The Piggies opted for a three-point penalty conversion in the 41st minute and the Brothers scored a converted try in the following set, bringing the score to 10-8. The Brothers scored again in the 64th minute, extending their lead to 17-8. The Piggies responded three minutes later, narrowing the deficit to 17-15, but the Brothers scored a converted try off the scrum on the stroke of full-time to ice the game with a 24-15 win.

Despite being down on troops, with the bulk of the experienced campaigners joining the rival clubs in the off-season, the depleted Joe Kautu-coached men showed their strength and mental fortitude to hold off the fast-finishing Uni Piggies with a gutsy win. This crucial win puts them in the top-three position of the CRU ladder. The mass exodus of players didn’t affect the Kramer APAC-sponsored Brothers, as they still have what it takes to contend for the premiership trophy this season.

PC: CRU