Flaws creeping into women’s league

THE flaws in rugby league have spread into the women’s game.
This was revealed after Papua New Guinea Women’s Rugby League president Wendy Kohun and Port Moresby Rugby League president Elsie Siki fronted up separately at The National’s office to announce their sides that would play curtain-raisers to the Digicel Cup grand final, as well as the Prime Ministers XIII match.
Siki, in her statement and release of the two Port Moresby sides, said Digicel PNG had asked Port Moresby women’s league to play their grand final as curtain raiser to the Digicel Cup grand final this Sunday, while Kohun announced two representative teams from the Highlands and the Southern regions to also curtain raise for the same event.
Kohun said the request had come from Papua New Guinea National Rugby League general manager Hubert Warupi.
Warupi denied asking for either of the two to stage the curtain-raiser event when contacted, confirming only that it was the host Port Moresby, Rugby Football Leagues, responsibility to organise the matches leading to the main event.
Kohun added when contacted that the POMWRFL had been working separate lyfrom the PNGWRFL, and that this move was again a show of their decision to run separately to the main body.
“I don’t know why they are doing this,” Kohun said.
“What we are trying to do is give our women who play in the rural leagues an opportunity to play on the big stage. This is all part of our build up to the Rugby League World Cup next year.”
Sikis’ Port Moresby sides are Bilum One and Bilum Two, while Kohuns’ sides are Highlands, from a joint women’s rugby league team from the women’s competitions up in the highlands, and Southern, a selected side from Port Moresby.