Tepatasi were named the champions of the Teuila 7s as they beat Matniuel Laulii Lions 19-14 with a try in the final seconds of the match to claim the Vodafone Teuila 7s Championship at Apia Park on Saturday. 

Head coach Reverend Malo Sefo was proud of how far his team had come during this tournament. He said they will continue to develop the God-given talents of the Aleipata youth.

"Our Tepatasi team was founded in my time in our village. The purpose is to develop the youth's sport and their talents. This was also given to me by God, as a Church Minister I believe God put me there so that I can help develop their talents," he said.

"Especially for our district, after school, they start to roam around and some end up in jail, or committing crimes. But this is a pathway that God gave me to work on for the future of these kids.

"We participated in the Vaiala tournament and made it to the semi-finals. We came to the Kings of Rugby and made it to the final but were unsuccessful. Now, we came to the Teuila 7s and owned it. So praise and glory goes back to God.

Tepatasi captain Pai Purcell acknowledged the support from their village, the district of Aleipata, and everyone who supported them.

The Australia First Nation team were bundled out by the Lions in the semi-final and settled for third place.