Meli Laddpeter 
Jasper William High School representatives with the under-18 and Under-16 trophies during the lauch of the championship on Wednesday.
After winning the under-18 Weetbix Raluve Championship title last year, Jasper Williams High School has seen a lot of interest from students to join the team this year.
Jasper defeated neighbour Natabua High School 22-17 in the final and coach Alena Laqai knows defending the title year will not be an easy task.
Coach Laqai was surprised to see the number of students who have been turning up over the past few weeks at training.
She is aware of what awaits them this season, and they are ready to defend their title.
“It’s going to be tough. This will be our first title defense, and we are going to give our best. It was good to see plenty girls want to join this year, and we hope the interest continues to grow.”
The 2026 Raluve Championship season starts this weekend.
