The RCSA Anosibe and RCI match ended in a draw (12-12) on Sunday. The Madagascar Elite Federal 2 Rugby Union Championship final will have to be replayed.
The crowd at the Makis Stadium in Andohatapenaka left feeling unfulfilled. The final of the Madagascar Elite Federal 2 championship, known as the Top 20, featuring the Rugby Club des Soldats Anosibe (RCSA) and the Rosa Club de l’Imerina (RCI), did not produce a winner. After 54 minutes of intense battle, the referee was forced to halt the match due to fading light.
The atmosphere, however, was worthy of a major event. From the moment the teams performed their lap of honor, the stands were roaring. Despite a kickoff delayed by an hour due to the 1 p.m. classification match going into extra time, supporters showed up in force, filling the stadium to nearly 70% capacity.
On the field, the duel lived up to expectations. Following several offensive sequences, Anosibe opened the scoring in the 27th minute with a converted try (7-0). The game then turned tense. The RCSA prop received a yellow card in the 32nd minute. A few minutes later, an RCI try was disallowed for a failure to ground the ball. This decision sparked anger among a section of the crowd, who threw bottles onto the pitch, leading to a twelve-minute interruption.
A foreign referee requested
Taking advantage of their numerical superiority—exacerbated by three yellow cards issued to RCSA players—RCI finally scored an unconverted try in the 38th minute to narrow the gap to 5-7. That remained the score at halftime.
After returning from the locker room, the Antohomadinika side showed greater ambition. Following several incursions into the opposition’s 22-meter line, they took the lead with a second try scored after a nearly 30-meter run (12-7). Refusing to give in, the Anosibe rugbymen responded by scoring their own second try in the 50th minute. A missed conversion left the two teams perfectly deadlocked at 12-12.
Just as the battle promised an exciting final thirty minutes, the failing light forced officials to end the match. Consequently, no winner was declared, and the promotion to Elite Federal 1, or Top 12, remains undecided.
Following the match, both sides praised the quality of the spectacle while questioning certain refereeing decisions. “It is a shame that no winner emerged today. For the sake of fairness and transparency, we would like a foreign referee to officiate the replay,” stated Désiré Rafidimanana, captain of RCSA.
The sentiment was echoed by RCI. “The 12-all score did not reflect the reality on the field, as we scored a try that was not validated. We also request a foreign referee to avoid any suspicion of bias,” shared coach Tahiana Herizo.
The date for the new final remains to be set by Malagasy Rugby in consultation with both clubs. One thing is certain: the promotion to the Top 12 will be decided in an act two that promises to be explosive.
Donné Raherinjatovo
Captured & Published at: 2026-06-22 06:30:22 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/06/rugby-xv-finale-top-20-rcsa-et-rci-vont.html