ANZ sponsors Palais

THE Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (ANZ) announced a three-year naming-rights sponsorship of the Papua New Guinea Palais in Port Moresby on Wednesday.
The Palais leave for Fiji today ahead of the Oceania Rugby Women’s Championship at Churchill Park in Lautoka from Monday to Nov 30.
ANZ country head Mark Baker and PNG Rugby Union interim president Ben Frame hailed the relationship to develop women in sport as a community obligation.
Baker said the ANZ management decided to get behind the Palais after he had found out in the newspapers about the national women’s rugby team’s financial struggles.
“This will see the Palais participate in the 15s to help develop players and the code,” he said. “We are obligated to engage in women’s activities and programmes.”
Frame said he was grateful to ANZ for stepping in to the Palais attend the tournament.
“This is tournament is a 2021 World Cup qualifier for the region,” he said.
Frame wished them all the best in Fiji.
Palais’ Christine Oki said the sponsorship would boost the team’s morale heading into the six-team Oceania Rugby-sanctioned tournament.
“We can do it. We are going there to compete and play well for our country,” she said. “We have to hit the ground running in Fiji.”