Gungahlin claim comfortable John I Dent Cup victory in Pasifika round

The trio were among a group of players to unite for a Pacific Island war-cry prior to Saturday's convincing 42-12 win over Wests. The victory lifted the Eagles into second on the ladder with one game to play.

The performance combined Fijian, Samoan and Tongan traditions and showcased Gungahlin's Polynesian playing group.

Lesa, a proud Samoan, joined the Eagles this season and said he was instantly welcomed to the club.

"It was good to get the win in Pasifika round," he said. "There's a lot of different cultures and backgrounds at the Eagles.

"We all come from different backgrounds but when we come and put this jersey one, we're just one family.

"The dance was a mix of Samoan, Fijian and Tongan. It was good to combine all three cultures together."

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Samu and Brown were among a host of Brumbies who turned out for their clubs on Saturday, Tom Wright, Declan Meredith and Luke Reimer featuring for the Lions. In total, 19 contracted players took to the field across the city.

Lesa moved to Australia this year after spending time in the Counties Manukau system in Auckland.

The 23-year-old has high aspirations for his career and said the opportunity to play alongside professional footballers is crucial to developing his game.

"It was unreal getting named this week and Pete and Jahrome were in the team," he said. "Even [Corey] Toole and some of the other Brumbies boys, it's an unreal experience. I can't put it into words."

John I Dent Cup: Gungahlin 42 bt Wests 12, Royals 40 bt Uni-Norths 36, Vikings 27 drew Queanbeyan 27

Women's Premier XVs: Wests 43 bt Gungahlin 0, Uni-Norths 44 bt Royals 12

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