Kalamunda will face Associates for the in inaugural Rendezvous Scarborough Challenge Cup Final this weekend at HBF Park, as the fight to win the first Cup.
After three preseason round wins each, the two teams will meet as the Curtain Raiser for the Western Force’s Community Round, the final game of their regular season against the Brumbies.
Associates have had a strong Rendezvous Scarborough Challenge Cup campaign, defeating Bunbury Barbarians 78-0 in Bunbury, followed by a 32-19 defeat of Southern Lions, and a 22-14 victory over Nedlands.
In their victory against Nedlands in the Semi-Finals, tries for Associates were scored by Ethan Stratton, Jack Knobel and Scott Tolmie (2), who also completed one conversion for the side. From Nedlands, tries were scored by Falamani Mafi and Luke O’Callaghan, with two conversions by Matty Lansdown.
For Kalamunda, the fight for the Cup final has been a little tighter, beginning Round 1 with a strong 29-5 win over Perth Bayswater, a 21-17 win over UWA in Round 2, and a final 17-12 victory over Cottesloe in Round 3.
With a tight win over Cottesloe to qualify for the Cup final, tries for Kalamunda were scored by Feleti Mafi (7’), Max Sawers (55’) and Benjamin Smith (69’), with two conversions by Braydon Forrest (56’, 69’).
With the Fortescue Premier Grade season kicking off between the Semi-Final round and the Finals, Kalamunda and Associates have already faced off against one another. With a 38-15 loss in Round 2, Kalamunda will be seeking to upset the Associates side, and pull out a win for the Cup final. Last time the two teams faced, Cristiano Tizzano was the top try scorer with two back-to-back tries, alongside kicker Ian Prior, who pulled off five conversions and a penalty.
“We are really excited to have another crack at Soaks [Associates] after a tough Round 2 loss against them,” Kalamunda Head Coach, Callum Payne shared.
“They are a well organised team that plays with plenty of cohesion and accuracy. We feel we didn't capitalise on a number of opportunities last time round, and we're looking forward to rectifying that this week.”
Their undefeated status in the Rendezvous Scarborough Challenge Cup, however, puts them in high hopes for bringing home a trophy this weekend.
“Whenever you get an opportunity to bring Silverware back to the club house you have to take it - there's no second chances in Finals footy.”
“Soaks have shown their ability to grind out tight wins against quality teams, but we feel there are chances there for us to take if we're on the money.”
Whilst Kalamunda’s run in the Fortescue Premier Grade wasn’t quite as nice as their Rendezvous Scarborough Challenge Cup run, the opportunity to get some quality rugby prior to the regular competition wasn’t taken for granted.
“It was great to get off the mark early in the season with some competitive footy. It's often hard to get quality games that early in the season due to guys returning at different times but to get straight into games with something on the line was excellent.”
“Having an organised preseason competition allowed us to get some early season cohesion”
The Rendezvous Scarborough Challenge Cup was established for its inaugural competition in 2024. Offering the clubs a preseason competition with the chance to add to their silverware cabinet, the competition was created to facilitate new competition between the Fortescue Premier Grade and Championship Grade.
The knockout competition facilitated new rivalries within the state and allowed for teams to test their skills against some different clubs. With sixteen teams in the stating round, just six will battle it out for the final trophies.
The day prior to the Cup Final at HBF Park, the Bowl and Shield finals are set to take place at Harrisdale Pavillion. ARKS will take on Mandurah Pirates at 6:15PM for the Bowl, and UWA and Wanneroo at 7:40PM for the Shield.
The Rendezvous Scarborough Challenge Cup final is set to kick off at 3:00PM on Saturday June 1 at HBF Park.
Rendezvous Scarborough Challenge Cup Finals Fixtures
Friday, May 31 @ Harrisdale Pavillion
- ARKS v. Mandurah Pirates (Bowl Final)
- UWA v. Wanneroo (Shield Final)
Saturday, June 1 @ HBF Park
- Kalamunda v. Associates (Cup Final)
