With the loss of last year's grand final coursing through their veins, the Royal Military College - Duntroon rugby team took to the field to face 2023 premiers Easts once more.
In the tradition of good rugby, there was just enough bitter rivalry to force a good physical contest, and keep the spectators hooked throughout the match.
Team Captain Lieutenant Aidan McComisky, a recent Duntroon graduate, knew it would be a tough assignment after an earlier round loss to Easts.
"We played Easts two weeks before the grand final and lost in extra time, so we knew we had to put the loss behind us and establish an early lead," Lieutenant McComisky said.
"The game overall was close but Duntroon was able to defend well in the second half to come away with a 21-12 win."
The RMC-D team is made up of staff, cadets and serving Defence members, and builds on the history of rugby at the college dating back to 1911.
Try-scoring points for the grand final match belonged to recent graduates Lieutenant Hugh Stothart and Lieutenant Nick Bamford, with five-eighth Lieutenant Lachlan De Jongh kicking one of two conversions and all three penalties.
'I am incredibly proud of the team's efforts, and to see how much the premiership meant to playing, coaching and managing staff members was surreal.'
Lieutenant Stothart's try will be remembered as a highlight, which started as an intercept while he was defending on his own line, and ended in a length-of-the-field run to put five points on the board.
Captain Jack Ryan, an instructor at RMC-D, said the win was the culmination of a long season of commitment from players and supporting members.
"Often cadets would return from field at midday to then strap on the boots and head out to a tough game the same afternoon," he said.
"Once in the season, the team was required to play four games in a week to make up for games missed due to field requirements."
For Lieutenant McComisky, the win will remain a highlight of his time at Duntroon.
"The year came with an abundance of adversity, including missing training and games due to field training," he said.
"The boys really ripped in towards the end of the season especially around finals time, fighting back after a major semi-final loss to Easts and finishing as premiers.
"I am incredibly proud of the team's efforts, and to see how much the premiership meant to playing, coaching and managing staff members was surreal."
The RMC-D Rugby Club dates back to the founding of the college in 1911. All 15 members of the first-grade team in 1913 served in World War 1, which claimed the lives of five of their number.
The 2024 premiership win will join the archives of many other stories forged throughout the club's proud history.
