The Rosa Club de l’Imerina (RCI) will compete in the Fédérale 1 elite next season. The players from Antohomadinika secured their promotion on Sunday by winning the Top 20 final against the Rugby Club des Soldats Anosibe (RCSA) with a score of 41 to 36, following a nail-biting match.
After drawing 12-12 in the first final, it took two periods of extra time, followed by a third with sudden death, to separate the two sides. The final provided a high-intensity spectacle in front of a packed crowd at the Andohatapenaka Makis stadium.
The kickoff was marked by high intensity. Despite being reduced to fourteen men in the second minute due to a yellow card, the RCI kept their composure. Both teams engaged in a fierce battle during set-pieces, alternating between strong attacking phases and high-quality defensive sequences. Rosa opened the scoring with a penalty before RCSA responded. The two rivals traded blows, remaining neck-and-neck for much of the game.
Perseverance and Sudden Death
RCI’s first try, scored after thirteen minutes, allowed the Antohomadinika players to take the lead. The Anosibe Soldiers, however, remained in the game thanks to their kicker’s precision. Before halftime, RCSA received a yellow card, and Rosa capitalized immediately by scoring a second try after the siren to head into the locker rooms with a nine-point lead (30-21).
Returning from the break, the Anosibe players displayed a completely different intensity. More proactive, they monopolized possession and launched consecutive offensives. Their dominance was rewarded with a try that completely reignited the final. Despite another penalty from RCI to gain some breathing room (33-26), RCSA kept fighting.
Rosa Club’s perseverance was finally rewarded three minutes before the end of regular time. However, a new try allowed RCSA to level the score at 33-33, forcing the game into extra time. The additional twenty minutes were still not enough to break the deadlock. The Soldiers took a slim lead (36-33), but Rosa found the strength to equalize at 36-36 in the dying moments. The outcome was decided in sudden death, which favored the Antohomadinika players, who finally found a gap to score the five points synonymous with victory and promotion.
“Both teams deserved their place in the Top 12,” said Marcel Rakotomalala, President of Malagasy Rugby, while noting that RCSA still has a chance to reach the elite division through a playoff match. RCI coach Tahiana Herizo Randrianarisoa believed his players “deserved this victory” and expressed his ambition to establish the club in the Top 12. Although defeated with honors, RCSA captain Désiré Rafidimanana has already promised to do everything possible to secure promotion during the playoff.
Captured & Published at: 2026-07-06 07:12:51 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/07/rugby-xv-finale-du-top-20-le-rosa-club.html