Cassowaries depart for Oceania Rugby Championships

By PARKER TAMBUA
THE national women’s rugby union team left for Manukau, New Zealand yesterday to compete in the Oceania Rugby Women’s Championship.
Papua New Guinea will compete against Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga in a round-robin format which will see the team with the highest competition points declared as the winners of the regional tournament.
PNG Rugby Union chief executive Sailosi Druma told The National yesterday that the Cassowaries would play their first game against Fiji tomorrow.
“They will then play Samoa next Wednesday and face Tonga next Sunday,” he said. “Each team will play three games.”
Druma said the last time the Cassowaries played an international was in 2019 when they hosted Tonga in a World Cup qualifier at Bava Park in Port Moresby.
He said the tournament was a good opportunity for the national 15s side to have exposure.
Meanwhile, president Paul Siwi thanked the union’s sponsors for supporting the team.
“Their travel was made possible by ANZ, Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited, National Gaming Control Board, National Capital District Commission, Air Niugini, Tourism Promotion Authority and Kumul Consolidated Holdings,” he said. “The union embarks on this journey to expose our local talents.
“This is the first PNG team to be sent overseas under this new management.
“Super Rugby Women’s scouts will look to select 10 girls from the tournament for scholarships.
“We wish the ANZ PNG Cassowaries all the best.”