The 2025 RugbyWA Grand Final is done and dusted – with Wanneroo winning a double, taking the cake in both the Fortescue Men’s and Women’s Premier Grades in one of the most unexpected finals series possible.
It was an incredible day of rugby down at Lark Hill Sporting Complex, home of Rockingham RUFC, with the RugbyWA community all coming together to celebrate rugby in WA, and the stellar performances of teams and players throughout the 2025 season. With Juniors and Seniors finals all happening in once place, it was a huge festival of rugby, culminating in the Fortescue Men’s and Women’s Premier Grades on Field 1.
Fortescue Women’s Premier Grade
Under the blazing midday sun, Wanneroo Divaz and Wests Scarborough Warriors took to the field, following incredible seasons for both sides. The Divaz, reigning Premiers, once again finished the season on the top of the ladder, while Wests Scarborough rose from third place, defeating Kalamunda in the Semi-Finals to secure their place in the Big Dance. With two stacked sides, full of bright, young talent, and skilled experienced legends, the game set out to be an impressive show of women’s rugby in the state.
With all eyes on them, the game kicked off full of energy, ready to take on the challenge. In true Divaz fashion, it took Wanneroo two minutes to cross the line for the first time, with Taylor Waterson making her mark on the game early. Young gun Teiana Mainwaring lined up the first successful conversion of the game, giving Wanneroo an early lead.
Less than ten minutes later, after some tough back and forth between the sides, and brilliant vision and a ball out to the wing by Paihau Pomare set Mainwaring up for a try in the top corner, slipping past Wests Scarborough’s defences.
The score remained at 12-0 until the 34th minute, when a smooth play out to Tizanae Kovacs out on the wing saw the Warriors break through Wanneroo’s defences to sail over the line, and put Wests Scarborough on the scoreboard. Going into halftime, the score saw Wanneroo in the lead, 12-5.
Pressure was high as the teams stepped back out on to the field for the second half, with the game still well within reach for both sides. With mere points separating them, it was Wests Scarborough who score the first try of the second half, breaking down Wanneroo’s tough defence on the tryline for Kiriwai Tethui to carry the ball across and put Wests’ score just two points behind Wanneroo.
Wanneroo retaliated just three minutes later, with Western Force gun Tamika Jones running directly into Wests’ defensive efforts and securing the side another try. Mainwaring successfully converted the try, putting Wanneroo up to 19-10.
With all tries won through hard work and determination, it took until the 60th minute for Wests Scarborough to further close the gap between the sides. A stolen ball by Valuese Tiakia just metres from Wests’ tryline set the side up for a huge push, working their way from a wide ball out to the wing, back into captain Keira MacAskill, who crossed the line and secured the final try of the match.
The final ten minutes were a showcase of rugby excellence, with both sides desperately fighting to keep their dreams alive, before referee Katie Kilbane blew the final whistle, securing the Wanneroo Divaz their back-to-back Premiership titles. The 2025 Fortescue Women’s Premier Grade champions, the Wanneroo Divaz etched their names into history once again, proving to be the giants of the women’s game.
The final score saw Wanneroo, 19, defeat Wests Scarborough, 15. The Player of the Match was Wests Scarborough’s Bella Houghton.
The Match Official for the Fortescue Women’s Premier Grade Grand Final was Katie Kilbane, with Ben Thomson and Jayde Proctor as Assistant Referees. Morghan Sattler and Alice Goldsack were the match’s Number 4 and 5.
Fortescue Men’s Premier Grade
After their surprise upset over Nedlands in the Semi-Finals, Conference B’s top side, Wanneroo, were ready to take the field against Palmyra, with their additional upset win over Cottesloe securing their place in the big dance. With high stakes and big dreams the only obstacles in their way, it was truly anyone’s game.
With big crowds surrounding the field, the game kicked off with a bang. Two evenly matched teams, the first try was scored 10 minutes in, with Ben Strang crossing the line for Wanneroo, followed by a conversion from Luke Ale. A penalty goal from Ale seven minutes later pushed Wanneroo even further ahead, giving an early edge over Palmyra.
Palmyra scored their first points of the day off a penalty goal from Rhys Morgan 21 minutes into the match, starting to close the gap set early by Wanneroo. Three minutes later, Wanneroo’s Ale scored his second penalty goal of the day, pushing the score to 3-13.
Braden Stewart pushed the gap even closer in the 28th minute, forcing his way over the line for Palmyra after solid defensive efforts from Wanneroo on the try line. A solid break from Piersen Kennington, followed by a push from captain Potu Leavasa set up Stewart to dive over the line, breaking past defenses to secure the side's first try of the match. The try was successfully converted by Morgan.
A few minutes later, Morgan equalised the score with a penalty goal for Palmyra, before pushing the side ahead to 16-13 at the half time whistle.
With half time seeing Palmyra ahead, Wanneroo were looking to keep themselves in the fight. Coming out of the gate firing, Strang crossed the line again two minutes into the second half, with a successful conversion from Ale, putting them back on top early into the half. Three minutes later, Morgan tightened the scoreline with another penalty goal, leaving just one point between the two sides.
In the 50th minute, a breakaway run saw Brodie Mainwaring set up the perfect try for Thomas Crofts, who soared across the line to secure Wanneroo’s third try for the match, with a stellar kick from Ale seeing another successful conversion. Keeping Palmyra on their toes, Crofts’ try put Wanneroo even further ahead, and promised to keep both sides running, not getting complacent for a moment.
Three minutes later, with strong defences from Palmyra at the try line, Cormac Marrey pushed his way across the tryline, giving Wanneroo yet another try in an already impressive performance, and pushing their score into the thirties. The try was successfully converted once again by captain, Ale.
Not a side to back down from a fight, Hayze Nepia put much needed points on the board for Palmyra in the 57th minute, forcing his way through Wanneroo’s defence to slam the ball across the line. A successful conversion from Leighton Short saw Palmyra, 26, just short of Wanneroo, 34. Not long later, in the 66th minute, Palmyra scored their third for the match, with a ball out to the wing seeing Short slip right past Wanneroo and into the in-goal area.
With the scorelines getting tighter, and Palmyra just three points behind, Wanneroo were searching for their next try, which came in the 68th minute from Vice-Captain Jordan Grattan out on the wing, and converted by Ale.
With a bit of a buffer back in place, Wanneroo proceeded to dominate the final 20 minutes, putting on a show. Murray once again found the tryline in the 73rd minute, with Ale once again successfully converting.
The final try of the game was perhaps one of the best tries of the 2025 Fortescue Premier Grade season, with a ball out to the wing meeting Ale, who proceeded to give one of the most impressive chip-and-chases, with a bouncing ball evading Palmyra’s defenders and falling right into Ale’s hands as he slipped across the line to secure the try. The top point scorer of the match, Ale then converted his incredible try, to put Wanneroo ahead by 24-points.
With only a few seconds left in the match, Palmyra desperately tried to put themselves back on the scoreboard, but a lost ball out the back of the lineout put the ball back in the hands of Wanneroo.
With the final whistle blown, the crowd flooded the field to celebrate Wanneroo’s Premiership win – 17 years since their last Grand Final appearance, 25 years since their last title, and a double Premiership with their Women’s side. The top of Conference B in the 2025 Fortescue Premier Grade season, it was an ending no one could have seen coming, with Wanneroo having finished their 2024 season on the bottom of the ladder. Now, just a year later, they have been crowned Premiers of the Fortescue Premier Grade.
The final score saw Palmyra, 31, defeated by Wanneroo, 55. The Player of the Match was awarded to Wanneroo’s Brodie Mainwaring.
The Match Official for the Fortescue Premier Grade Final were Graham Cooper, with Jordan Kaminski and Sam Jones as Assistant Referees. The Number 4 was Jack McLenaghan, and the Number 5 was Madeline Putz.
2025 Grand Finals – Players of the Match
Under 13 Gold – Devryn Kingi (Palmyra White)
Under 14 Girls – Harper Ngaotata-Day (Wests Palms Barbarians)
Under 14 Gold – Joseva Ganilau (Southern Lions)
Under 15 Gold – Longoatu JR Vaka (Palmyra)
Under 16 Girls – Kaiya Puki (MPW Barbarians)
Under 16 Gold – Johan Oosthuizen (Joondalup Brothers)
Under 18 Gold – Jacob Scoon (Southern Lions)
Belt Up Colts – Luke O’Callaghan (Cottesloe)
Championship Grade – Josh Hanson (Rockingham)
Community Xs – Cheyenne Campbell (Rockingham)
Community Grade – Panashe Kamhara (North Coast Sharks)
Fourth Grade – Evan Mataki (Perth Bayswater)
Third Grade – David Pomare (Nedlands)
Reserve Grade – Manihera Eden (Palmyra)
Fortescue Women’s Premier Grade – Bella Houghton (Wests Scarborough)
Fortescue Men’s Premier Grade – Brodie Mainwaring (Wanneroo)
