Broncos, PNG partner up

By ISAAC LIRI
A NEW women’s rugby league partnership between PNG Rugby Football League, Brisbane Broncos and Oil Search PNG Orchids was struck yesterday.
The five-year partnership creates a pathway for women in the country to be exposed internationally through the Broncos in the NRL women’s competition.
As a result of the partnership, PNG Orchids representative and Brisbane-based player Amelia Kuk became the first PNG women to be signed by the Broncos for next season.
The partnership will also see a match between the Orchids and the Broncos women’s team, a week before the NRL women’s premiership season starts in September.
The match will be a curtain raiser to the Broncos-Manly Sea Eagles game which will be Brisbane veteran Sam Thaiday’s last home match for the regular season.
PNGRFL chairman Sandis Tsaka said the announcement of the partnership marked another milestone in the history of PNG women’s rugby league.
“This provides the opportunity for our best players in the Orchids to play in the women’s NRL through the Broncos,” Tsaka said.
“The Broncos are one of the best clubs and they will be working with us to promote our women’s game.
“For PNGRFL, this gives us momentum to continue to support the women’s game in the country after the Orchids team was launched last October,” Tsaka said.
Broncos women’s team chief executive officer Tain Drinkwater said they saw this as a chance to promote female participation in PNG.
“I’m delighted to announce Amelia Kuk as our first signing in the pathway programme,” Drinkwater said.
“Amelia came to our attention as part of the World Cup, she represented PNG well, not only as a player but as a young women from here.
“The partnership that we’ve embarked on is basically about creating a pathway for young women.
“Specifically in 2018 and 2019 we will come up here and do some work in schools and in the local communities.
“We’ll use our ambassadors to share powerful messages about the team and other social messages,” Tian said.
Tsaka said this wa not a one-off thing and within the five years duration of the partnership, the young women coming through the Orchids programme would be considered for the Broncos.
Drinkwater said there were possibilities of recruiting a locally-based PNG player (18 years and under) for next year.