Valley Hunters Dominate Brothers in CRU Grand Final Rematch

The highly-anticipated 2024 grand final rematch of the Pepsi Capital Rugby Union (CRU) saw the reigning champions, SWG TSI Valley Hunters, smash the Kramer APAC Brothers with a strong 21-7 win in their round 4 clash on Saturday, May 3rd, 2025, at Bava Park.

Based on their recent rivalry, this blockbuster was predicted to be a tight contest, but the Valley Hunters were merciless against the Brothers, extending their unbeaten record to four straight wins and topping the standings in the men’s premier division. 

The Valley Hunters went off to a fiery start in the early proceedings, exerting their dominance in the ruck, scrum, and lineout areas. As a result of their dominance in the opening 40 minutes, they scored two tries and slotted two penalty goals, leaving the Brothers at bay to take a comfortable 14-0 lead at the break. 

In the second half, the Brothers swung the momentum in their favor to put themselves on the front foot. They had a lion’s share of possession for almost 20 minutes to make a comeback, but the Hunters’ relentless defense kept turning them away.

However, when fly-half Sawi Sukumbal got a yellow card for repeated infringement, the Joe Kautu-coached outfit capitalized on a man down to score their first 5-pointer, with a successful conversion, narrowing the deficit to 14-7.

The men in black stamped their feet down and continued to ask questions, but the eventual winners (Valley Hunters) repelled their onslaught, turning defense into offense to score the final try and put the nail in the coffin.

Coach Frank Genia highlighted that though he was pleased with the win, his boys were a bit complacent and ill-disciplined, praising the Brothers for their spirited fight.

“We probably got a bit complacent in our work off the ball, but credit to the Brothers for speeding up the game,” Genia said.

“The Brothers clearly had momentum in the second half due to our poor discipline. We have to learn to manage momentum and stay committed on either side of the ball.

“I’m happy we have been tested in the second 40 minutes of play. We will take a lot from that moving forward.” 

Genia noted that they needed to cut down on making mistakes, be disciplined, execute their set pieces, and stick to the game plan for the upcoming matches.

“The focus will continue to be on skill and execution. Too many handling errors have disrupted our performance and continuity. It’s early days yet in the competition, so we will go back to work again,” he said.

The high-flying SWG TSI Valley Hunters are stoked to face the resurgent Moni Plus Nova in round 5 of the Pepsi CRU competition on Sunday, May 11th, at Bava Park.