Capital to stage 9s trials

By JACK AMI
THE Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League will run selection trials to pick teams for the national nines squad for the Pacific Games in July.
Women’s rugby league nines was included in the Games joining the men’s competition which was introduced at the last Pacific Games.
PNGRFL competition manager Toksy Nema has been given the job of running the trials and picking the teams. The trials will only involve players from Port Moresby as leagues in the capital are the only ones in the country running women’s nines competitions.
“We’ve resorted to concentrate on female players from leagues in Port Moresby only for this trials, because competitions from the city leagues have been actively playing in organised games including the start of pre-season for the 2019 season while the rest of the country is non-active,” Nema said.
“In line with established PNGRFL selection procedure for national selection, PNGRFL is organising selection trial for the women’s Team PNG for the Pacific Games on April 19.”
The trials will be held at the Sir John Guise Stadium and selected women teams from the following leagues are asked to organise and participate: Port Moresby Rugby League, Moresby South and Hohola Offseason.
Port Moresby Rugby League will field three teams comprising talent from their 14 clubs while Moresby South and Hohola Offseason will field a team each.
Southern director Gwaibo Mairi commended PNGRFL chairman Sandis Tsaka for recognising women’s rugby league in the region.
“Our women have played this concept for several years now especially in the Port Moresby Rugby League and with Moresby South,” Mairi said. Tsaka said selections would be made solely from the trials and players would wanted to be considered needed to make themselves available.