RUGBY League Jamaica (RLJ) staged its annual New Year 9s festival at Mona Bowl on Saturday. Nineteen teams turned up to contest four categories, including Wigan-Leigh College from England.

Tries from Kenneth Walker (2), Marvin Thompson, Jade Harrison and Akel Jenson led Duhaney Park Redsharks to a 24-12 win over Washington Boulevard Bulls in the men’s final.

For Bulls, Oshane Edie (2) and Linval Green replied with tries; Jamaica Defence Force shut out St Bess Sledgehammers 24-0 for third, while St Catherine OB Thundercats and Liguanea Dragons finished fifth and seventh, respectively, topping West Kingston Hyenas and Spanish Town Vikings.

The women’s final was a hotly contested affair between Redsharks and Sledgehammers.

Shanique Smith and Allison Frazier rushed the winners to an 8-0 lead before Sledgehammers came roaring back through scores from Yanique Days and Yianna Wilson. It needed sudden death extra time to settle the affair, and it was Smith who produced a brilliant solo break to settle the matters.

In the Boy’s Academy U-19 finals Jamaica Hurricanes Academy A edged English outfit Wigan-Leigh College 12-8. Jamaica’s scorers were Damoy Palmer, Tyreke Hutchinson and Shevaugh Smith, the latter scoring in extra time; both Wigan tries came from Toa Bayliss. The win marked the first ever by a Jamaican domestic team over an English team in any format of the game.

BB Coke High School got the better of The Cedar Grove Academy for a 12-8 scoreline in the High School U-19 category.

Rugby League Jamaica (RLJ) Director Romeo Monteith says, “RLJ is extremely pleased with the execution of the tournament. We had competitive games all round and Wigan-Leigh added an excellent international flair to this staging.”