By HAIVETA KIVIA
RUGBY officials in Lae are questioning Papua New Guinea Rugby Football Union’s decision to accept Mendi Menjals as its new affiliate is questioned.
The officials, who requested to remain anonymous, also asked why PNGRFU sanctioned their participation at this week’s Singapore Invitational 7s.
They claimed that the Menjals were all rugby league players, members of the Mendi Muruks and Bulldogs franchises in SP Cup competition.
“Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League should investigate or do something because injuries sustained in either code by these players could become a liability to the two codes,” one official said.
“Who will be responsible for insurance or medical expenses? They can become issues if life-threatening injuries were sustained.”
Another official said this was against what the Union agreed on at the start of this year when they agreed that players playing both rugby codes will be barred from playing rugby union and would not be considered for selection in the international, national and provincial teams.
They said PNGRFU was saying one thing and practising the exact opposite.
PNGRFU president Graham Osborne was not available for comment yesterday.
The officials refuted the claim made by Augustine Mano and Pastor Isaac Joseph that the introduction of rugby union in Southern Highlands province was an opportunity for young rugby players in rural areas to be exposed at higher level.
“The team that is going to Singapore is not made up players from rural Southern Highlands but seasoned SP Cup campaigners, so how could they represent rugby at rural areas?” they said.
They also claimed that Southern Highlands or Mendi is not affiliated to PNGRFU and does not have any organised competition in the province.
“If they had set up their competition in Mendi early this year and wanted to affiliate or want to do so early next year, that will be very well received,” the officials said.