Talai Spartans Clinch Second Leg of KCK Rigo Rice Cup

The battle of the ‘south side’ during the drizzling conditions at Bava Park on Sunday, February 23rd, 2025, saw the Talai Spartans claim the Second Leg of the KCK Rigo Rice Cup following their 18-8 victory over the Vadatau Brothers in front of a bumper crowd.

As anticipated, both sides rose to the occasion and hit their straps running in the opening minutes. Just under 10 minutes of play, the Brothers fumbled a fifth tackle kick and the Spartans capitalized to score under the uprights, and with a successful conversion, the eventual champions took a 6-0 lead.

The fight for possession and territorial play intensified in the ensuing sets. With a field position in the Spartans’ red zone, the Brothers’ five-eight scooped up the ball quickly from the ruck and dummied a couple of defenders to score under the posts, equalizing the points at 6-all at half-time.

In the second half, the match reached its climax as both sides strutted their stuff to impose their presence. The Spartans were penalized in their 10-meter line and the Brothers opted for a 2-point goal, taking an 8-6 lead.

Following the penalty goal, the Spartans tightened their grip and dominated the game, keeping the Brothers at bay and registering three unanswered tries to seal the deal with an 18-8 win. 

Like the 300 Spartans movie famous line: “No retreat, no surrender; that is a Spartan law. And by Spartan law, we will stand, fight and die. A new age has begun. An age of freedom, and all will know that 300 Spartans gave their last breath to defend it.”

Spartans captain, Ako Peter attributed the team’s victory to their preparations and team bonding over the last couple of weeks and thanked everyone for their support. 

“We have prepared in advance and worked hard for almost a month. Our aim was to reach the finals and to win the grand final is a bonus,” Peter said.

“I want to thank our coaching staff, team management, sponsors, and the fans for their support. Without their support, we would not have come this far, so thank you to everyone involved.”

The Talai Spartans walked away with K10,000 prize money while the runners-up Vadatau Brothers received K5,000 and the third-placed team SS Dolphins got K3,000. 

These Leg 2 teams have joined the top 3 teams from Leg 1 comprising the Mono Mutrus Brothers, D8 Mosquitoes, and Koita Cowboys.

The top 3 teams from Legs 3 and 4 will be selected to join the top 3 teams from Legs 1 and 2, and the 12 finalists will compete for the grand prize of K300,000. The champion will grab K200,000, the second prize is K60,000, and the third prize is K40,000.