Bond University Rugby Club scraped a surprise 27-25 win at Ballymore Stadium to deny Brothers a third consecutive first grade championship on their 120th anniversary.
Head coach Ben McCormack said the result was “a bitter pill to swallow” despite their second team’s success beforehand.
“Despite the challenges that we face off the field, we pull it together on the field, so we’ll learn from it,” he said after the match on Sunday, August 31.
Brothers seemed set for the 2025 Storelocal Hospital Cup after a Will Cartwright hattrick.
But in a frantic finish, Bond scored from a lightning counter-attack to delight the travelling fans with their first ever championship.
Back-rower Michael Wood said there was “much talk of a three-peat” in the Brothers dressing room leading up to the final.
“Back-to-back is hard enough to do, let alone a three-peat, so the club should be proud of what they’ve already achieved,” he said.
Bond first-grade coach Mick Heenan said his side were fortunate to win in front of the home support as Bond travelled from the Gold Coast.
“It was always going to be a tough one against a storied club like Brothers that had eight teams in finals,” the head coach said.
“If you want to win, you have to beat the best teams, and Brothers have been the best team for these last three years.”
Brothers are the oldest active “Premier” club of any football code in Queensland and enjoyed success elsewhere on the day through their reserves and junior sides.
They celebrated their 120 year milestone at Officers Mess New Farm on Saturday, September 6.
Photography: Jack Ponych
