One new team in SP Cup race
MASTERMAP Rangers of Port Moresby are the newest franchise to join the eight-team SP Cup competition for the 2008 rugby league season.
Rangers are the only new team accepted into the competition to join Toyota Mioks(Enga), Mabey & Johnson Muruks (Southern Highlands), LBC Bombers(Lae), Bintangor Lahanis (Eastern Highlands), Pagini Warriors (Chimbu), Bintangor Hagen Eagles (Western Highlands) and Agmark Gurias (East New Britain).
Bintangor Supermarket in Eastern Highlands have expanded its sponsorship to support Hagen Eagles after their sponsorship pulled out.
The final list means that two other hopefuls – Port Moresby Vipers and Kimbe Taur – have missed out on joining the semi professional league.
PNG National Rugby League Board chairman Thomas Higgins yesterday confirmed the participation of the eight franchises this year.
Higgins said they all had met the deadline and criteria, and their participation will be ratified at the upcoming PNGNRL Board meeting.
He said that contrary to recent media statements, the Kimbe Taur application had not met the participation criteria because they had been unsuccessful in enticing a corporate sponsor to back their application.
However, they had been informed that they should strive to realise the support of a proactive corporate sponsor prior to the start of the 2009 SP Cup competition and reapply for participation then.
In relation to Port Moresby Vipers, Higgins said that the PNGNRL Board had not extended the participation requirement date for the Vipers.
He said the Vipers had also been unsuccessful in achieving the support of a corporate sponsor for 2008, even though PNGRFL, the PNGNRL and SP Brewery also helped to secure a sponsor.
Higgins said this year’s SP Cup competition will comprise eight teams playing a 14 round robin series with five teams going through to the finals play offs. The season will start on May 11 and run for 19 weeks, with the grand final in Port Moresby on Sept 14.
Meanwhile, Port Moresby Rugby League Board chairman Solomon Ravu has not given up hope yet to have Port Moresby Vipers included in the SP Cup competition.
Ravu said yesterday he had not received any official response from Higgins on the success or failure of the Vipers application to join the competition.
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