Investment in game’s future

The National Sports

GREETINGS to our rugby league family and welcome to our 16th edition of the “Fulltime Reserve” column for this year in our favourite rugby league newspaper, The National.
The Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League was excited to announce a new landmark partnership with Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited KPHL to support PNG National Schools Rugby League NSRL programme.
The partnership will see KPHL become the naming rights partner for this inclusive school-based rugby league programme that targets the age groups from 12 to 18 playing in three divisions, namely; Under-14, U16 and U18 for both boys and girls. This programme is a key component of the PNGRFL’s ‘Domestic Pathway Programme’ and provides a structured high-performance system to identify, develop and promote talented players and officials.
The PNGRFL was also pleased to announce and welcome Dr Benedict Yaru as the inaugural chairman of the PNG NSRL. We are confident that he will provide the strategic vision and leadership required to develop and grow this important programme that we believe will greatly improve the game’s standard in PNG. On behalf of the rugby league family across PNG, especially our players, officials, volunteers and schools across the country involved in PNG NSRL, we are extremely grateful for this significant investment by KPHL.
Since the launch of the PNG NSRL programme in 2017, it has gradually grown by 2020 to have over 15,000 students in 150 schools, participating in 12 competitions in eight provinces across the country. While we have worked hard to grow the programme and there have been some success, the lack of resources has meant the impact of the programme has not been as significant. We are confident that the new partnership will grow this programme.
The PNG NSRL will provide and support elite young players and officials with access to comprehensive high performance support programmes and opportunities for elite young talents to participate, improve and excel in high quality domestic and international competitions.
We are confident that a robust NSRL programme with a dynamic elite pathway programme will set the foundation for improving domestic standards through a structured development pathway that will provide new opportunities for rugby league in PNG such as:

  • A direct pathway into the Australian NRL or other elite international and domestic programmes;
  • A platform for international youth teams, Junior Kumuls, Junior Orchids;
  • A pathway for future national U20s and women’s competitions;
  • A pathway for PNG Hunters U20s and women’s team in the Queensland BHP competition; and,
  • A key pathway for the planned establishment of a PNG franchise in the Australian NRL.

While the programme is rugby league based, it is also developed to leverage the popularity and passion for the sport to encourage youths to embrace education and become better people by developing and instilling our sport’s core values of sportsmanship: respect, integrity, discipline, friendship and fair play.
Until next week, may the grace, love and care of our Good Lord be with you.

Cheers,
Sandis