It was another big weekend of rugby at Eltham, with teams across the age groups showing grit, growth and great sportsmanship. 🏉👏
Get Into Rugby – Eltham hosted the Get Into Rugby kids again this week, with the kids having a great time learning more about rugby and building their skills. It’s fantastic to see so much enthusiasm and energy each week from our newest players. 🏉😊🌱
U11s battled hard at home against Endeavour Hills. The boys showed real perseverance and played to the final whistle, despite the scoreboard not going their way. In the final minutes, Fraser Loughlin got the U11s on the board with a determined try, breaking through defenders to reach the line. The team erupted in celebration and came off the field smiling — a great reflection of their resilience and growing team spirit. Roman demonstrated great skill in latching well to secure the ball for his team and great tackling by Louis and Blake.
U12s had a tough game this weekend, going down 19–36 to Casey. With the match falling at the end of the school holidays, we saw some truly impressive commitment — players backing up after early morning flights and others pushing through illness just to make the team. Despite many of the boys putting in extra training during the break (up to 4 days a week!), fresh opposition legs, a deeper bench, and strong winds tipped the game in Casey’s favour. That said, the boys never gave up. This kind of challenge is a great opportunity for growth — we often learn more in loss than in victory. With a bye next week, the U12s are regrouping and looking ahead to the next game with finals still in sight.
U16s delivered a solid 45–17 win over Harlequins in cool, windy conditions. While nerves were visible in the lead-up, the team found their rhythm early and executed well. A few soft tries were conceded late in the game due to simple errors, and there’s still work to do around the ruck and defensive line. But overall, it was a strong showing. The key to their win? Belief in their process, solid communication, and a focus on basic skills.
Seniors were narrowly defeated 25–19 by second-placed Casey in extremely gusty conditions. If you think Melton is windy, take a trip to Casey! Eltham battled the breeze in the first half and went into the break with a 14–11 lead, thanks to well-earned tries from Maarametua Peni and Aisea (Wise) Naulago, both converted by Robbie Hausegger.
The second half saw a huge 50/22 from Tui Volau and a second try from Wise that extended the lead, but Casey came back with two converted tries to edge ahead. In the dying minutes, Eltham earned several penalties deep in Casey’s 22 and mounted a series of determined attacks, but a few handling errors and some very solid Casey defence held them out.
The match featured some big moments, including a crowd-pleasing tackle from Joey Vuwai that knocked a Casey player into touch. Post-match, the team appreciated the warm hospitality and spread provided by Casey — and were grateful to have our brand new Eltham jackets keeping the reserves warm on a freezing day. ❄️🖤💛
Keep an eye on our socials for more photos.
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