Papua New Guinea’s PNG Kumuls have been crowned the Pacific Bowl Champions after a dominant 50–18 victory over the Fiji Bati at the Santos National Football Stadium in Port Moresby on Saturday, November 1. The home side thrilled the packed crowd with an attacking masterclass that secured one of their biggest wins in recent years.

Hooker Edwin Ipape was at the heart of the Kumuls’ success, directing play with sharp passes and decisive runs from dummy half. His composure and leadership around the ruck created multiple scoring opportunities that the team capitalized on throughout the contest.

The opening stages saw Morea Morea touch down in the 10th minute before Ipape, Nene Macdonald, and Rhys Martin extended the lead to 30–6 by halftime. Fiji’s Kitione Kautoga managed to score just before the break, but PNG’s defense remained strong and disciplined.

In the second half, the Kumuls continued their onslaught with tries from Cooper Bai, Nixon Putt, Dudley Dotoi, and Robert Mathias. Each play reflected teamwork, pace, and precision, leaving the Fijians struggling to keep up with the tempo.

Rhys Martin delivered a perfect kicking performance, converting all eight tries and adding a penalty goal to end the match with 18 personal points. His accuracy off the tee was crucial in ensuring PNG turned every opportunity into points on the board.

For the Fiji Bati, Kitione Kautoga crossed twice, while Solomon Saukuru and Semi Valemei added late tries, but their efforts could not close the gap. PNG’s physical dominance and flawless kicking proved too much to overcome.