Valley Hunters edge Brothers to defend CRU title

The clash of the titans saw the SWG TSI Valley Hunters hold off the Kramer APAC Brothers with a 15-10 win in the Pepsi Capital Rugby Union (CRU) Premier Men’s Grand Final on Saturday, September 6th, 2025, at Santos National Football Stadium. 

With no love lost between these two sides, the highly-anticipated clash lived up to its billing, with the Valley Hunters taking a slight 7-0 lead at half-time, setting the tone for a bruising second-half encounter.

The intensity peaked in the second spell as the two teams grappled for ball possession and field territory to assert their dominance. The Valley Hunters took a 3-point penalty goal to increase their lead to 10-0.

A few minutes later, the Brothers opted for a 3-point penalty goal, narrowing the lead to 10-3. After a lion’s share of possession inside the Brothers’ red zone, the Valley Hunters scored an unconverted try, extending their lead to 15-3.

With 5 minutes left on the clock, the brethren used their experience and outmuscled the Valley Hunters in the middle to score a try under the uprights, reducing the deficit to 15-10. 

In the dying 2 minutes of the intense contest, the men in black almost produced a miraculous comeback to stun the Valley Hunters, but the Valley men held firm to emerge victorious by a 5-point margin.

The Kramer APAC-backed Brothers were dominating the middle with their behemoth forward pack, while the SWG TSI-sponsored Valley Hunters had threatened the Brothers with their electrifying outside backs. 

Valley Hunters’ coach Frank Genia attributed the victory to the players’ strong bonding and credited the formidable Brothers for setting the benchmark in the Capital Rugby Union as regular finals contenders.

“What you saw today was a really good performance by a bunch of players who are well-connected. They literally love each other, play for each other, and hang out with each other,” Genia said.  

“I want to congratulate the Brothers who have made 9 grand finals in a row. They are a powerhouse club. Everyone wrote them off during the season, but they proved us wrong. They know how to win games.”

Coach Genia said their impregnable defense won them the game, noting the Brothers kept putting them (Valley Hunters) under pressure, but the reigning champions held their resolve to retain the coveted title.