PROMITHEAS TRIUMPHANT IN GREECE

12 Mar 2013

Promitheas were triumphant in the Pan-Attica Rugby League 9s Championship, which took place on 9 March 2013. At Nikaia Stadium, in front of 150 rugby league fans, Promitheas defeated AEK Kokkinias in a competition supported by Nikaia/Agios Ioannis Rendis City council, with strong personal support from the deputy Mayor, Mr Spyros Nikolakis.

The first points were scored relatively early on in the match. Promitheas fullback Nikos Lagia exploited a gap in the AEKK defensive line, slipping through to score the first try of the match to make it 4-0. AEKK responded with an early try of their own. The players rallied together and put veteran forward Matt Ashill in range to break through and score AEKK's first try. AEKK captain Dimitris Skafidas then converted, giving his team a 6-4 lead.

From that point on, Promitheas did not allow much space for AEKK to advance and kept them pinned in their own half. The Promitheas forward pack was relentless in attack and prop Kostas Tzevelekos broke through putting his team back in the lead. Nikos Lagia then converted, making the score 10-6. Captain Iordanis Bilikaidis and Nikos Lagia then used their quick footwork and precise passing to combine and score a try each shortly after. Both conversion attempts failed and the score was 18-6. In the dying minutes of the half, AEKK made a strong surge as Ashill barged over for his second on the stroke of halftime. Conversion attempt was unsuccessful and the score was 18-10 at the break.

The second half belonged entirely to Promitheas. Six more tries were scored to make the score 46-10, but AEKK second row Nikos Kostakis scored a try in the final moments of the match to make the final score 46-14 and make Promitheas the first ever Greek Rugby League champions. Nikos Lagia won man-of-the-match with his six-try effort.

Promitheas, AEKK and Pegasus participated in the competition and have been joined by Neapoli Lakonias and the Rhodian Rugby Unity, bolstering the numbers involved in the fledgling organisation.