NOUMEA: New Caledonia club champions Magenta flies to Tahiti this weekend to play Tahitian champion Manu Ura for the Dom-Tom Cup series. Magenta is the reigning title-holder having beaten AS Pirae last year in Noumea – the first time a New Caledonian team had beaten a Tahiti team in this annual fixture.
After sweeping all before them in the recently completed 2003-04 season, Magenta gets a chance to defend their title but this time will have to do without the home advantage. The pride of the Tahitians was hurt last year and Manu Ura will be out to bring the title back to Tahiti over the two matches to be played on 29 June and 1 July in Papeete.
The winner of the series will travel to France for the Dom-Tom Cup final in Paris later this year.
*In other news, Magenta will play Mont Dore in the New Caledonia Cup final on 10 July. Magenta qualified for the final after beating RS Koumac 3-1 in last weekend’s semi-finals while Mont-Dore beat JS Baco 1-0.