Cooks back PNG’s NRL bid

mlipen Main Stories, Sports

PNG’s bid to enter a team in the  Australian National Rugby League competition received an overwhelming support yesterday from one its Pacific Island neighbours and finalists of SP Brewery Pacific Cup Cook Islands.
Cook Island captain Tere Glassie and tour manager Upokoina Konito described it as the creation of a golden opportunity for the children of the Pacific Islands to play in the NRL.
With the bid gaining momentum and wider recognition both domestically and now with the endorsement of fellow Pacific nations the bid team is more confident of success.
After a successful  Pacific Cup tournament it has triggered their support to the PNGNRL Bid team following similar moves made earlier last week by Fiji, Tonga and Samoa who missed their chance to participate in the tournament but had sent in their support through emails and letters.
“It will be exciting to see Pacific Islands children playing for PNG and uniting the spirit of Pacific brotherhood,” Glassie said.
“We give our 100% support to the PNGNRL Bid and we will support it in every positive aspect of the move that is currently mooted by the PNGNRL Bid committee,” Konito, who is also a board member of Rugby League International Federation Board (RLIF), added.
He urged the members of the PNGNRL Bid Committee to keep them abreast on the progress of the bid in order for Cook Islands to be on par with the developments.
PNGNRL Bid manager Bev Broughton, bid chairman and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister and Sports, Philemon Embel and NCD Governor Powes Parkop, who is also one of the directors of the bid, welcomed the support  made by the Cook Islands.
Mr Embel expressed his gratitude and excitement for the mounting support that has been given by rugby league playing Pacific neigbours which according to him was icing on the cake after receiving positive feedback from Australia’s NRL CEO David Gallop and the RLIF.
The State minister and NCDC Governor  Parkop also appealed to PNGRFL and the people of Papua New Guinea to come forward and support the bid which will benefit the children of PNG and further unify the people.