Deans Trophy

The Deans Trophy is the top prize of the Fiji Secondary Schools Rugby Union (FSSRU) competition. The competition introduced in 1939 is the oldest competitive tournament in Fiji rugby. It was first won by Queen Victoria School (QVS).

For the first time in its 74-year history, Ratu Navula College, a school from the Western Division of the main island of Fiji, Viti Levu, had won the coveted trophy in the 2013 FSSRU Coke Zero Deans Competition. Ratu Navula College's Dream Team was undefeated from the Under 15 grade in 2010 right up to the Under 18 Grade in 2013.

QVS has won the Deans Trophy 21 times and drawn 6 times. QVS won the Deans Trophy in the Under 18 grade in 2011 when the decision was made to lower the Deans Trophy Competition from Under 19 to the Under 18 age group. The QVS Dream Team retained the Deans Trophy in 2012 undefeated from Under 14 in 2008 till Under 18 in 2012.

Lelean Memorial School (LMS), has won the trophy 14 times and drawn five times. Lelean first won the Deans Trophy in 1944. LMS has won the most times in the 2000 to 2010 decade. Lelean last won the Deans in 2014.

Ratu Kadavulevu School (RKS) has won the trophy 21 times and drawn 5 times. RKS first won the trophy in 1961. RKS holds the record for the longest defence of the Deans Trophy from 1980 to 1985. RKS again won the Deans Trophy in 2015 after a lapse of 10 years since sharing with Suva Grammar School in 2005.

Marist Brothers High School has won the Deans Trophy on four occasions and drawn twice. They first won in 1965. Their Under 18 Dream Team was unfortunate to lose out narrowly to RKS in 2015.

Latter Day Saints (LDS) College, Nasinu Teachers' College, Navuso Agricultural College and Suva Grammar School (SGS) have each won the trophy once. SGS also drew with RKS in 2005.

The original Deans Trophy was donated by the Maori All Blacks team that toured Fiji in 1938 to be competed for by the Secondary Schools of Fiji. It is now kept at the Fiji Museum in Suva.

In 2000, Post Fiji Limited became official sponsors of Fiji Secondary Schools' Rugby and a new Deans Trophy was unveiled. This Deans Trophy was first won by Lelean Memorial School (LMS) in 2000. Suva Grammar School led by Jo Maitiro won the trophy for the first time in their school's history in 2001. RKS won the Deans Trophy in 2002 and QVS in 2003. In 2004 this Deans Trophy was shared between QVS and LMS for the last time.

In 2005, there was no sponsor for the FSSRU and a wooden replica of the original Deans Trophy was made. This Deans Trophy was shared between SGS and RKS in 2005. The Lelean Memorial School (LMS) Dream Team won it in 2006. This LMS Dream Team was undefeated from the Under 15 grade in 2002 until the Under 19 grade in 2006. In 2007, QVS won this Deans Trophy for the last time and it coincided with their 100 years Centennial Celebrations that year.

In 2008, the Coca Cola (Amatil) company became the official sponsors of Fiji Secondary Schools' Rugby and donated a fiberglass replica of the original Deans Trophy. Lelean was the first school to win the new sponsored trophy and won it on consecutive years in 2009 and 2010. Lelean had by that time opened a Rugby Academy and was bearing the fruits of it. The QVS Under-19 Team failed to qualify for the Dean's national quarter finals and they also refused to play in the Tier Two Competition. As a consequence, the QVS Under 19 was to be banned from the Deans Competition in 2011. At the end of that year, the FSSRU decided to move the Deans Competition one age group lower to the Under 18 grade in the following year, 2011.

QVS won this Deans Trophy in 2011 and 2012. Ratu Navula College won it in 2013, and Lelean Memorial School (LMS) won it in 2014. In 2015, Ratu Kadavulevu School (RKS) won it after a tense final with the Marist Brothers High School Dream Team.

The Deans Trophy Records are as follows:

Deans Trophy Champions

References

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