Ipatas Cup regional challenge hosting seven teams

SEVEN teams have won gold passes in the Coca-Cola Ipatas Cup (CCIC) provincial leg challenges which will see them play in the western and eastern regional challenges next weekend.
The Western Highlands challenge saw five teams earning gold passes.
CCIC chief executive Sam Koi told The National yesterday that this was due to the high number of teams taking part in the challenge.
“The teams from Western Highlands challenge that have won gold passes are Gomis Panthers, Dako Kala United, East West Ninjas, Dirio Eels and Masip Redstars,” Koi said.
“The other two teams that have won gold passes are Strickland Raiders from the Hela challenge and Naiyo Budges from the Kainantu challenge which brings the total to seven.
“For Western Highlands, we had over 20 teams that participated. This was due to the Southern Highlands challenge being cancelled this year which has seen teams from there come over to the Western Highlands challenge,” the executive said.
“Therefore we got the top 10 teams to take part in a playoff and from there we got the best sides and they were automatically given gold passes.”
Koi said a mercy pass was given to a Hela select side which will see two teams from the province play in the Western challenge.
According to Koi, the western end challenge would see gold pass winners from Hela, Enga and Western Highlands take part in the playoffs while the eastern end challenge was made up of winners from Morobe, Jiwaka and Eastern Highlands. Winners from the regional challenges will head for the finals which will be held at the Lae Rugby League Ground next month.