Highlands teams praised in opening round of 7s

Sports

HIGHLANDS teams Mt Hagen Tribesmen, Mendi Mustangs and Goroka Kilituas have been commended for competing in the Kumul Petroleum Papua New Guinea Rugby Union (PNGRU) Super Sevens Series.
While rugby union is not popular in the Highlands, the shorter format of the sport is slowly building a presence in Western Highlands, Southern Highlands and Eastern Highlands.
Tournament director Paul Joseph said the Highlands teams had shown great skill in the opening round of the series last weekend.
“Highlands teams have always been a special breed,” he said.
“They are passionate about rugby league.
“Union is something new to them, especially sevens.
“But they have their unique way of playing.”
Despite the Highlands being a rugby league hub, Joseph believes the region can also excel in rugby union.
“It’s really good for them to come out and showcase their talent,” he said. “This is a great occasion for them to play against some stronger teams. But I think they’re still learning.
“Their case is similar to that of the smaller unions, including Northern and Alotau.”
Joseph said the series provided a platform for rookie teams to help develop their provincial unions.
“There are a lot of new players coming through,” he said.
“The talent is immense. So for PNGRU, I guess we need to provide an avenue for them to showcase their talent.”
With three more rounds to be held over the next three weekends, Joseph said the Highlands teams may surprise the stronger teams if they continued to improve their game. “The Highlands teams are slowly picking up the pace,” he said
“They just need to pick out one or two pointers from what they have done over the weekend, and work towards improving.”
Meanwhile, Joseph urged teams to recover well for round two.
“Teams must look after themselves to ensure that they fully recover because we have three more consecutive rounds remaining.”