Vipers Clinch 2025 Kokomo 9s Tourney

The Port Moresby Vipers have been crowned the 2025 Kokomo 9s Champions after edging the ITP Wolves with a 28-24 win on Sunday, 21st September, at Bill Norris Oval in Beenleigh, Queensland. 

The Kokomo 9s is an annual Queensland-PNG Rugby League tournament that began in 2014 to trial players for the Queensland Pacific Islands Cultural Carnival (QPICC). The event has grown into a prominent competition, featuring teams from various backgrounds. 

It serves as an important event for showcasing extraordinary passages of play and fostering community engagement within the rugby league community. 

The Vipers have been participating in the Kokomo 9s since 2017 and continued to make their presence known throughout. They remained undefeated in this year’s edition to claim the top honors.

Port Moresby Vipers’ co-coach Brendon Gotuno, who led the nation’s capital flagship team alongside Wellington Albert in the Digicel-ExxonMobil Cup, said despite bowing out in the quarterfinals, he was pleased to claim the Kokomo 9s.

“It’s actually a great feeling of winning the Kokomo 9s abroad. I’m pretty sure everyone enjoyed the game, including us, the coaching staff, team management, the fans, and our sponsors,” Gotuno said. 

“Obviously, we lost to the Agmark Gurias in the DEM Cup quarterfinals, but we came here (Australia) and got the job done. That’s something that we can use as a motivation to build up for next season.”

PC: POM Vipers Media