Hottest 7s turns on the heat with Fijian outfits leading the charge
The Hottest 7s has provided once again, throwing up two jam-packed days of entertaining rugby 7s. Read all of the results and more here.
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The Hottest 7s has wrapped up for another year after an enthralling two days of action packed rugby.
After a total of 109 games across six categories, only the cream of the crop came out on top, with a number of sides dominating their division.
Two standouts across the tournament were Darwin’s own, Darwin Dragons Yellow U14s and the boys from down south, NSW Fijian Junior U16s.
WINNERS
Under 12s: Casuarina Cougars (def.Swampdogs 15-5)
Under 14s Boys: Darwin Dragons Yellow (def. TGS 19-0)
Under 16s Boys: NSW Fijian Junior (def. Casuarina Cougars 26-7)
Youth Boys: NSW Fijian Junior (def. Casuarina Cougars 43-0)
Barra: MSJ Raiders (def. Palmerston Crocs 14-7)
Buff: Northern Marlins (def. Northern Sharks 26-0)
Jabiru: Lilian Amazon (def. Billirrawarra 29-0)
Croc: Tabadamu (def. Duiyasana 27-0)
Up against it, the Darwin Dragons came into the final as outsiders, facing up with reigning champions, Toowoomba Grammar School.
Having been beaten by TGS 15-5 in their opening game, the Dragons were out to make a statement.
After an early try to Landen Cole, the Dragons never looked in doubt, running away to a much deserved 19-0 victory.
“The kids played great,” Dragons coach Sione (Johnny) Tua said.
“I put the win down to the boys believing in themselves and their talent.
“There’s so much talent here (Darwin) that we aren’t exposing to the rest of the country, so to have these kids get a proper challenge like this is just great.
“It only lifts the standards and creates more engagement.”
The coach said that his side showed heart and despite being a rag-tag bunch of teenagers, they all should be proud of their achievement.
“Their ability to stay true to their oath and challenge of keeping TGS to 0 points, shows they believed in themselves,” Tua said.
“This side isn’t just made up of boys from Dragons, we’ve got players from Swampdogs, Crocs and Cougars too, so it’s all about getting as many kids involved and help break down the barriers of clubs.”
The other side that had a great competition were the boys in white, the NSW Fijian Junior U16s side.
Demolishing each opponent on their way to the grand final, it seemed almost like a training run as they trampled over the Casuarina Cougars 26-7.
“We all feel good to have won and are grateful to have been given the opportunity to place here at Darwin,” the side’s captain Samuel U Scott said.
“It was definitely a bit hot but we got used to it and we played well and enjoyed the games.”
Being humble but truthful, Scott said his side deserved the win.
“Some of the games were a bit tough, others not so much and a bit easy but this one (final) was good,” he said.
“I’d like to say good job to the other team and that we wouldn’t be here if not for the strength from God.”
Day 2 Results
OPEN MEN’S DIVISION
Tabadamu 33 def. 5 Compassion Warriors
Northern Marlins 14 def. 5 Northern Sharks
Central Aus. Fijians 35 def. 0 Uni Pirates – Big Bones
Swampdogs 35 def. 12 Palmerston Crocs
Duiyasana 28 def. 0 Bad Bunnies
MSJ Raiders 21 def. 8 Uni Pirates – Big Bones
Northern Marlins 27 def. 0 Bad Bunnies
Northern Sharks 31 def. 0 Swampdogs
Palmerston Crocs 17 vs. 5 Fat Salties
Tabadamu 31 def. 0 Central Aus Fijians
Duiyasana 17 def. 0 Compassion Warriors
OPEN WOMEN’S DIVISION
Darwin Dragons 40 def. Ruck n Rabbits
Lilian Amazon 75 def. 0 Sweethearts
Billirrawarra 48 def. 0 Casuarina Cougars
Lilian Amazon 40 def. 5 Sweethearts
Ruck n Rabbits 25 def. 5 Casuarina Cougars
Billirrawarra 29 def. 14 Darwin Dragons
YOUTH BOYS
Casuarina Cougars 14 def. 12 Palmerston Crocs
NSW Fijians 46 def. 0 Top End Tiger
Top End Tiger 22 def. 14 Palmerston Crocs
Casuarina Cougars 22 def. 19 MacKillop Saints
NSW Fijians 31 def. 0 TopEnd Tiger
UNDER 16 BOYS
Casuarina Cougars 24 def. 14 Palmerston Crocs
Casuarina Cougars 24 def. 17 MacKillop Saints
NSW Fijian 20 def. 0 Palmerston Crocs
UNDER 14 BOYS
TGS 38 def. 7 Casuarina Cougars
Darwin Dragons Black 53 def. 0 Swampdogs
Casuarina Cougars 36 def. 0 Swampdogs
Darwin Dragons Yellow 22 def. 5 Darwin Dragons Black
TGS 14 def. 10 Casuarina Cougars
UNDER 12 MIXED
Casuarina Cougars 10 def. 5 Nightcliff Kites
DAY 1
In the sweltering heat and more than living up to its name sake, the first day of the 34th Hottest 7s went off with a bang.
From blistering speed and quick feet to bruising shots and crunching tackles, men, women boys and girls all took to the field for a day of footy and fun.
With some sides taking the event a lot more seriously than others, the day was played in good spirits with teams coming together at final whistle to exchange pleasantries, despite hostilities on the field of play.
Making their debut and taking to the field for the first time was Fijian outfit Duiyasana.
Playing their first game against the Palmerston Crocs, Duiyasana stormed out of the gates, putting together an emphatic 38-0 victory.
Their second match against Central Aus Fijians 7s proved to be a far more even contest, going down to the final play of the game, where they sealed a 10-5 win.
“That was a tough game,” Duiyasana’s captain Waisale Sekitoga said.
“It was a lot closer than the first game.”
The side full of experience, played a far more traditional style of rugby sevens, showing they were not afraid to hold onto the ball and go back 20m to reset.
“The (Hottest) 7s is really good because it is so hot, your fitness is getting tested,” Sekitoga said.
“Teams from down south come up and think they can smash us thinking their better then the Darwin people, but that doesn’t happen and we put up a good fight.”
Sekitoga said that he and the boys were excited for the rest of their games and are hoping to keep the team around for a long time to come.
“Me and another bloke are from Darwin but the rest of the boys used to be an Alice Springs team,” he said.
“The boys all moved up here (Darwin) to come and work.
“So we thought it’d be a good idea to create a Darwin based side instead of having everyone come from all over.
“So this is the first time we’ve entered as this (Duiyasana) team.”
Day 1 Results
OPEN MEN’S DIVISION
Tabadamu 12 def. 0 Northern Marlins
Compassion Warriors 54 def. 0 Fat Salties
Duiyasana 38 def. 0 Palmerston Crocs
Northern Sharks 17 def. 7 MSJ Raiders
Central Aus. Fijians 28 def. 5 Bad Bunnies
Swampdogs 24 def. 5 Uni Pirates – Big Bones
Northern Marlins 31 def. 5 MSJ Raiders
Tabadamu 52 def. 0 Fat Salties
Duiyasana 10 def. 5 Central Aus. Fijians
Compassion Warriors 17 def. 7 Northern Sharks
Swampdogs 21 def. 19 Bad Bunnies
Palmerston Crocs 29 def. 0 Uni Pirates – Big Bones
Compassion Warriors 15 def. 5 Northern Marlins
Northern Sharks 41 def. 5 Fat Salties
Central Aus. Fijians 21 def. 7 Swampdogs
Tabadamu 45 def. 0 MSJ Raiders
Bad Bunnies 28 def. 0 Palmerston Crocs
Duiyasana 55 def. Uni Pirates – Big Bones
Compassion Warriors 40 def. 0 MSJ Raiders
Northern Marlins 45 def. 0 Fat Salties
Tabadamu 24 def. 0 Northern Sharks
Duiyasana 19 def. 5 Swampdogs
Bad Bunnies 55 def. 0 Uni Pirates -Big Bones
Central Aus. Fijians 26 def. 7 Palmerston Crocs
OPEN WOMEN’S DIVISION
Lilian Amazon 55 def. 0 Casuarina Cougars
Billirrawarra 27 def. 0 Sweethearts
Ruck n Rabbits 10 draw. 10 Casuarina Cougars
Lilian Amazon 33 def. 0 Darwin Dragons
Lilian Amazon 36 def. 0 Billirrawarra
Darwin Dragons 40 def. 0 Casuarina Cougars
Sweethearts 17 def. 5 Ruck n Rabbits
Sweethearts 17 def. 0 Casuarina Cougars
Lilian Amazon 59 def. 0 Ruck n Rabbits
Darwin Dragons 20 def. 0 Billirrawarra
YOUTH BOYS
NSW Fijians 50 def. 0 MacKillop Saints
NSW Fijians 50 def. 0 Palmerston Crocs
MacKillop Saints 27 def. 5 Casuarina Cougars
MacKillop Saints 15 def. 14 Palmerston Crocs
Casuarina Cougars 24 def. 19 Top End Tiger
Top End Tiger 31 def. 17 MacKillop Saints
NSW Fijians 31 def. 0 Casuarina Cougars
UNDER 16 BOYS
NSW Fijian 52 def. 0 MacKillop Saints
MacKillop Saints 26 def. 15 Casuarina Cougars
NSW Fijian 36 def. 5 Palmerston Crocs
MacKillop Saints 17 def. 14 Palmerston Crocs
NSW Fijian 30 def. 5 Casuarina Cougars
UNDER 14 BOYS
TGS 42 def. 0 Swampdogs
Darwin Dragons Yellow 33 def. 12 Darwin Dragons Black
TGS 15 def. 5 Darwin Dragons Yellow
Darwin Dragons Black 35 def. 12 Casuarina Cougars
TGS 29 def. 17 Darwin Dragons Black
Casuarina Cougars 25 def. 0 Swampdogs
TGS 29 def. 17 Darwin Dragons Black
Darwin Dragons Yellow 22 def. 0 Casuarina Cougars
Darwin Dragons Black 45 def. 7 Swampdogs
UNDER 12 MIXED
Nightcliff Kites 10 def. 0 Swampdogs
Casuarina Cougars 41 def. 0 Nightcliff Kites
Swampdogs 5 draw. 5 Casuarina Cougars
PHOTOS FROM MACKILLOP SAINTS V. PALMERSTON CROCS (Day 1)
PREVIEW
It was a moment of emotion and excitement for star NT export Naomi Roberts when her Fijian women’s team was given the chance to play in the Top End Hottest 7s.
The Hottest 7s is the marquee event on the NT Rugby Union calendar and attracts teams from across the country and the world to compete in the trying Darwin humidity.
Former Wallaroo Roberts said coming to Darwin was something beyond the imaginations of her Lillian Amazons squad.
The squad of 11, with an average age of 19, had never been on a plane before the trip, nor have they had a normal bed to sleep in.
And the Darwinite ensured her girls were given a taste of what it means to be a professional rugby player while they were playing in an internationally recognised event.
“When we came here all I asked them to do was find us a room with beds, no double bunks, I wanted them to feel what it’s like to be an accomplished rugby player,” Roberts said.
“I wanted them to feel what it’s like and when you feel it, you dream it and when you dream it, it becomes a reality.
“These girls were never in the hierarchy at home, but to be given this when they were at the airport the whole family, the whole village came to support them.
“I couldn’t even describe the excitement of arriving here, its way beyond the imagination of these girls and they are the future role models for the girls back home and around the world.”
The competition at TRL Stadium from October 7-8 will feature 12 open men’s sides, six open women’s teams and 18 clubs fighting it out across five juniors divisions.
The traditional Darwin rugby base will be well represented with Darwin Dragons, Casuarina Cougars, South Darwin Rabbitohs, University Pirates, Swampdogs and Palmerston Crocs all fielding sides.
Other big visiting sides include 2022 Open Men’s champions Tabadamu Rugby, Central Australian Fijians, Duiyasana and Compassion Warriors.
NT Rugby Union chief executive Nathan McDonald said the event was going to be the biggest of the Hottest 7s history building on the growing excitement of the sport.
“As a game there’s nothing better than watching 7s, it’s an action-packed game which goes at 100 mile per hour for the whole match,” he said.
“It’s been amazing to have such an influx of teams across the divisions.”
INTERSTATE SIDES TO LIGHT UP 2023 DARWIN HOTTEST 7S
The stage is set for this year’s edition of the Hottest 7s to be the biggest in NT Rugby history with 36 teams from across the country and beyond set to light up Darwin.
The competition at TRL Stadium from October 7-8 will feature 12 open men’s sides, six open women’s teams and 18 clubs fighting it out across five juniors divisions.
The traditional Darwin rugby base will be well represented with Darwin Dragons, Casuarina Cougars, South Darwin Rabbitohs, University Pirates, Swampdogs and Palmerston Crocs all fielding sides.
And those clubs will get their taste of some interstate action when they take on touring sides from New South Wales, Queensland, Fiji and even further abroad.
The 2022 Open Men’s champions Tabadamu Rugby will return to defend their title against the likes of Central Australian Fijians, Duiyasana and Compassion Warriors.
Brisbane school rugby powerhouse Toowoomba Grammar is another familiar name on the roster chasing back-to-back under-14s titles.
Meanwhile, the space is there for a new open women’s champion with the Classic Wallaroos missing from this year’s event.
NT Rugby chief executive Nathan McDonald said the field competing in one of the largest Australian 7s competitions was “arguably our best ever”.
“Judging by the teams we’ve landed, it’s going to be our Hottest ever 7s,” McDonald said.
“We’ve more teams across more divisions competing for a massive $40,000 prize pool, so we can’t wait to kick it all off this weekend.”
Beyond the on-field excitement there’s plenty on offer for fans with an unrivalled party atmosphere as well as plenty of NT hospitality to keep spectators entertained between games.
For more information, head to the Hottest 7s information on the NT Rugby website.
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