Eight teams seal race for K500,000 Rigo Rice Cup

A South Side Dolphins player (in black) making a line break during the playoffs of Rigo Rice Cup at Sir Hubert Murray Stadium *(Image: Jay-ou Multimedia)*

The race for the 2026 Rigo Rice Cup title has reached the business end, with the final eight teams locked in to compete for a share of the K500,000 prize pool.

Following three weekends of intense finals challenge fixtures, eight teams survived the round-robin stage to book their quarter-final spots at Port Moresby’s Sir Hubert Murray Stadium this Sunday.

Rigo Rice Cup chief executive officer McSteve Polly commended the standard of competition across the finals series.

“All teams brought high intensity to the finals round-robin matches,” Polly said told NBC News.

“It was very tough and competitive compared to the earlier legs. While we had a few injuries, our medical teams on site managed them effectively.

“Teams that stood out for me were Morobe Pride, Six Tigers, and Ave, who played with aggression and flair, while 3CY Rangers attracted a lot of attention with their style of play.”

Out of the 20 teams that qualified for the final phase, 12 have been eliminated, leaving eight contenders after three rounds of Cup group fixtures.

The ultimate winner of the 2026 tournament will pocket K300,000, while the runners-up will collect K100,000.

Third and fourth-place finishers will receive K80,000 and K20,000 respectively.

Sunday’s quarter-final double-header kicks off with Mono Mutrus Brothers taking on South East Angels, followed by inaugural champions South Side Dolphins clashing with 3rd City Rangers.

In the remaining fixtures, Six Mile Tigers face Master Mak 5MK Heights, before Morobe Pride cap off the round against Ave RLFC.

The winners of each quarter-final will advance directly to the semi-finals, while the losing teams will be eliminated.