Humeu hails PNG for victory over England

PROP Carol Humeu hailed the Oil Search Papua New Guinea Orchids’ 20-16 win over England in the second of a two-test series in Port Moresby on Saturday.
The 24-year-old, from Chimbu, registered the Orchids’ first points of the match when she crashed over for a converted try in the 20th minute.
The try proved to be the spark that coach Bagelo Solien’s charges needed to go on to claim their first test triumph.
Humeu showed maturity and leadership on the field with solid hit-ups to gain metres and pave the way for the Orchids backline to score points against the Craig Richard-coached visitors.
Carol said it was a special moment for her to be part of the Orchids first test win.
She said the win proved to critics that the women’s game could thrive in the country if given ample attention and resources.
“This win is has brough about tears of joy for the Orchids, our coaching staff and sponsors,” Humeu said. “We are only two years old but we have shown today that we can do it. Via Facebook, people criticise us but now we’ve proved them wrong. We played against one of the heavyweights and we beat them. That shows that we’ve improved a lot since 2017.
“It’s an honour to represent my country, family, tribe and all the women in Papua New Guinea. I’m pleased with our performance against England. Hopefully, we can continue on the same path and get similar results against other heavyweights in the sport.”
Humeu began her sporting career in rugby union with Southern Chief in 2011 before switching to her current code.