As Day 1 of the Grand Finals comes to a close, Daramalan Rugby finishes with mixed results on the scoreboard, but an enormous amount to celebrate.

Across four Grand Finals, our teams produced some outstanding rugby, two premiership victories and, most importantly, performances that showed just how exciting the future of Daramalan Rugby is.

Under 15 Girls – Daramalan 38 def. Kinross 35

The first game of the day saw our Under 15 Girls take on Kinross in an incredibly entertaining, high-scoring Grand Final.

Early points to Daramalan through Lacey Ayers were followed by tries to Kinross, and from there the match became a genuine try-for-try battle. At half-time, Daramalan trailed 15–12 with everything still to play for.

With what I can only imagine was a Vince Lombardi-style half-time speech, the girls came out inspired in the second half.

They lifted their intensity, continued to attack and showed enormous determination as the game went right down to the wire. Grace Kelly and Gracie Rhule also crossed for important tries as Daramalan continued to find ways to put points on the board.

In a match where very little separated the two sides, the difference on the day proved to be Chloe Buck’s boot. Chloe converted four of Daramalan’s six tries, and in a Grand Final ultimately decided by just three points, those conversions proved absolutely crucial.

When the final whistle sounded, Daramalan had secured a thrilling 38–35 victory and a Grand Final win to remember.

The development and growth of this group over the past two seasons has been enormous. Their confidence, skill and understanding of the game continue to improve, and they are showing just how much of a threat they are going to be in the years ahead.

A fantastic achievement from the players and coaches and a wonderful reward for all the work that has gone into this team.

Under 13 Black – A Season to Be Proud Of

Our mighty Under 13 Black team took on St Edmunds U14 White in their Grand Final and once again showed the determination and talent that has made them such an exciting team to watch this season.

Ryder Coutts continued to demonstrate why he is one of the standout performers in his age group, producing some clutch defensive efforts along with some impressive attacking rugby.

Tries to Ryder Coutts, Mitch Taylor, Lawson Day and Levi Morris kept Daramalan firmly in the contest. It was particularly great to see Levi back contributing on the Grand Final stage after returning from a long-term injury.

I unfortunately missed the now-famous penalty-goal-attempt-turned-try, but I am certainly looking forward to seeing that one on the replay!

For a group that is relatively new to the club, their development has been outstanding. More importantly, they have represented Daramalan with tremendous pride throughout the season.

While the result didn't go our way today, this is a group with an incredibly exciting future. We can't wait to watch their continued development and success over the coming years.

A wonderful season by everyone involved, and the entire Daramalan Rugby community is incredibly proud to have this group of young men representing our club.

Under 15 Red – Daramalan 26 def. by Canberra Grammar 36

Our Under 15 Red team faced Canberra Grammar in their Grand Final in difficult weather conditions.

Daramalan got off to a slow start, conceding two early tries, but as the team settled into the contest, we began to see a much better reflection of the skill and attacking ability they have displayed throughout the season.

A late first-half try to Cody Crabb narrowed the CGS lead and gave Daramalan some momentum heading into the break.

Cody crossed again in the second half, while Ky O'Connor, in just his first year of rugby, produced an outstanding performance and scored two tries of his own.

Despite a strong second-half effort, Canberra Grammar held on to take the Grand Final 36–26.

Throughout the season, the U15 Reds have provided us with so many exciting games, and we could not be more thrilled that they earned the opportunity to compete in a Grand Final.

This may be one of the strongest age groups coming through Daramalan Rugby, and the future is incredibly exciting. There will undoubtedly be plenty more development, enjoyment and success ahead for these players.

Congratulations to the entire U15 Red playing group and coaching staff on a fantastic season.

Under 15 Black – Daramalan 39 def. St Edmunds U16 Blue 0

The final Daramalan game of Day 1 saw our formidable Under 15 Black side take on St Edmunds U16 Blue in the U16 Division 1 Grand Final.

This season, the U15 Black team earned their way into the age group above and Division 1, and at no stage have they backed away from that challenge.

Finishing the regular season with only two losses, they entered the Grand Final confident in their ability – and what followed was an outstanding team performance.

Ollie Tawake opened the scoring from a well-executed set tap move, with Victor Cornillon-Elliot providing a strong platform.

Lachlan Neighbour and Bryson Hopman both produced outstanding tries on the edges, while Archie Hughes-MA\aher fought his way over the line for another five-pointer.

Late in the second half, Zander Clarke spotted an opportunity, took a quick tap and found his way across the line.

Then winger-turned-backrower Jack Gilligan produced one of the individual highlights of the match, showing tremendous skill to chip over the fullback, regather and score.

When the final whistle sounded, Daramalan had secured an emphatic 39–0 Grand Final victory.

This team has given us just a glimpse of what is to come as they move towards U16s and eventually senior rugby in the coming years.

Plenty of credit must go not only to this wonderful playing group, but also to their coaches, managers and families who have supported their development throughout the season.

An outstanding achievement and a thoroughly deserved premiership.

Bring on Day 2!

As we finish Day 1, a huge thank you must go to all our wonderful supporters, volunteers, coaches, managers and parents for their amazing support throughout the day.

Grand Final days are about much more than the players who take the field. The atmosphere created by the Daramalan community and the number of people who give their time to support our teams is what makes our rugby club so special.

And we're not finished yet.

Day 2 promises to be another massive occasion for Daramalan Rugby, with all three of our U18 sides taking the field at Viking Park tomorrow.

We encourage our entire Daramalan community to get back out to Viking Park, wear your red and black and support our senior teams as they look to finish an incredible Grand Final weekend in style.

Sunday – Viking Park Oval 1

3rd XV vs St Edmunds College – 12:30pm

2nd XV vs Marist College U16s – 1:45pm

1st XV vs Marist College – 3:00pm

Three games. Three Grand Finals. One massive afternoon of Daramalan Rugby.

See you at Viking Park!