Enga starts schoolboys league

 Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League launched a schoolboys programme in Yaibos, Wapenamanda, Enga, over the weekend.

Chairman Sandis Tsaka said the programme was part of promoting the school rugby league which was active in 14 provinces.

Tsaka said PNGRFL was initially promoting the schoolboys league in three divisions — Under-14, U16 and U18 — with support from provincial education boards. “Enga’s SBRL programme is sponsored by the provincial government with 24 teams from 16 schools participating in the U16 and U18 divisions. A total of 580 students are participating,” Tsaka said. 

The 14 provinces with schoolboy leagues are: Highlands Zone – Enga, Western Highlands (Mt Hagen), Jiwaka and Eastern Highlands (Goroka); Northern Zone – Morobe (Lae), EHP (Kainantu), Madang, East Sepik (Wewak), Ramu (Madang); New Guinea Islands –  East New Britain, AROB (Buka), West New Britain, New ireland (Namatanai); Southern Zone – NCD South, NCD North East, NCD North West (Port Moresby), Central.

“There are more than 8400 players in the schoolboys league,” Tsaka said. “The PNGRFL believes that investing in this is crucial for the growth of the game in PNG.”