Grand final sides prepare for championship push in 2025 Darwin Rugby grand finals
The top sides of the 2025 Darwin Rugby Union season are chasing victory in a set of promising grand finals that will deliver new champions in each division. Read what they had to say.
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The last sides standing in the 2024-25 Darwin Rugby Union competition have their chance to claim glory when they face off in what’s shaping up to be a thrilling set of grand finals.
The premiers of both the men’s and women’s top divisions have already been knocked out paving the way for new victors.
The Darwin Dragons are coming for redemption in the women’s competition after a depleted side went to last year’s grand final and lost to the University Pirates.
But this year they’re all in and ready to take out the premiership for their club after an undefeated season through 2024-25.
Ellie Niki is one of those returning and, coming off a trip representing the NT at the Las Vegas Nines, is primed to make an impact in the final against the Palmerston Crocs.
Cassiela Wapau, Bianca Scrymgour and Ayesha Kay are others to watch out for while there’s a few youngsters ready to make an impact in their first big dance.
“Crocs have been a benchmark all season and though we’ve had a few tight wins we don’t know what they will throw at us, so expect the unexpected,” Niki said.
“Last year is still on the back of a lot of our minds, it’s not a nice feeling to make it to a grand final and lose so we’re back again ready to take it out and get the job done.
“We have strike weapons across the park, we have lots of juniors coming up and playing their first senior finals and we’re excited for them.
“There’s plenty of excitement, a lot of nerves which show we want to be here to redeem ourselves, we’ve just been taking it step by step riding this wave.”
Their foes the Palmerston Crocs have been the talk of the town in the past week beating the reigning premiers to earn their spot in their first women’s grand final.
Dailene Doyle said the nerves were setting in now for the squad but they were excited at the prospect of achieving something the club never had previously.
Roxy Mahony-Gilchrist has been in stellar form of late, while Vic Alley, Shari Togo and Erin Luchetti are others with the skills to push their side to glory.
“There’s a few nerves going around at the moment because this isn’t somewhere we’ve been and to get here is unreal for the girls,” Doyle said.
“There’s a lot of emotions but we just hope to come out on the weekend and do our best and have a crack at it.
“The prelim was a good game, both teams came in very strong and we turned up as a team, it couldn’t be an individual’s job but a whole team effort to get the job done.
“You can’t do any of it individually, you have to work as a team and realise no one is above anyone else, we just have to back each other and work together to get the job done.
“We don’t know what to expect as we’ve never been in a grand final before so it’s all about making sure we’re there for each other, we’re excited and know the atmosphere will bring a lot.
“Darwin have been our biggest competition, we’ve chased their tail all year and come close, and hopefully this one is the one we finally get them.”
Meanwhile, in the men’s competition features a face-off between the University Pirates and South Darwin Rabbitohs both after a victory of their own.
The record is two wins each for the sides this season with Souths winning the most recent encounter 32-17 in the semis forcing the Pirates into the long route to the grand final.
Souths have sides in both the A-Grade and B-Grade finals and have the firepower around their group to go for a fairytale double.
Rising Star winner Dan Cakau and Dallas Caulton are two young players who have really made their mark this season and are a worry for anyone with their pace down the wings.
Skipper Marc Pilla said the youth had been a good shot in the arm for his squad, which had lifted the enthusiasm among the group during finals.
That’s not to say the older heads are going to be any less influential with Eric Johnston winner Vincent Mehn in elite recent form and tall time such as Travis Mitchell in the locks helping get it done.
“It’s exciting, we’ve been building from last year and there’s a good belief in the group, everyone’s bought in and we’re excited for the match up,” Pilla said.
“We’ve got a couple of lightning quick wingers who are both only around that 18 age bracket and then we have the Eric Johnston winner Vincent Mehn in the side.
“There’s also our tall timber in the second row such as Travis Mitchell and our very mobile back row, which will trouble them.
“We expect them to come out all guns blazing, we know they’ve been a very good side over the years and there’s no exception this year.
“They’ve had the wood on us at times and their own quota of dangerous players so it could come down to how the teams start in what will be an exciting contest.”
The minor premiership winning University Pirates have been in the upper echelon of the league for some years now and have a set group well aided by some young up and comers.
The Pirates responded to their semi-final defeat with a resounding 59-19 victory against the Dragons in the prelim in which all-round sportsman Stylianos Vrontos shone.
Robbie Butcher remains one of the focus points of this outfit while young guys such as Anthony Paolucci in the front row and back rower Lochart Pringle have become fixtures.
“We’ve had a pretty good season, we’ve prepared well and been able to play some tough footy across finals,” Butcher said.
“We were able to take some lessons from the semi and then weathered the storm against Dragons early before being able to play the Pirates way to finish it off.
“We’ve built depth over the past few years and that’s really come to fruition this year, we’ve got quite a bit of youth which balances out us older fellas.
“We have a few older heads as well but we our younger guys whether on the bench or breaking through have kept people on their toes and bring lots of energy.
“Souths are physical, they brought it to us last game and we’re two each for the year, we know they’re going to be physical again and they’ve got some really exciting outside backs.
“It’s going to be a pretty physical game, but there will be plenty of attacking too, I don’t think any teams going to leave anything out there and die wondering.”
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Originally published as Grand final sides prepare for championship push in 2025 Darwin Rugby grand finals
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