Junior league concept reaches Buka

FORMER Kumul and junior rugby league advocate Ifisoe Segeyaro has appealed to all former Kumuls and senior representative footballers to get behind the PNG All-school rollout programme currently undertaken by PNGNRL Bid Committee.
Segeyaro made comments in Buka during the introductory session of the PNGNRL Bid Team to school teachers at Hutjena High School Oval on Saturday.
The PNGNRL Bid team, led by Beverly Broughton, included former Kumul players Segeyaro,  Arnold Krewanty and Aquila Emil.
Other team members are Peter Felton – Queensland Rugby League (sports safety,) Dennis Ward, the former Australian Kangaroo and Clive Churchill medallist (coaching) and Richard Johnson – from Queensland Rugby League.
Buka Island is the first port of call for the bid team as they resume the  rugby league programme in the New Guinea Islands region.
He said it was important that the former Kumuls and former representative players helped out the teachers from various communities to impart some knowledge to the children.
“My challenge to them is to get behind and seriously organise junior rugby league at the schools level and the community to pave way for a lot of young Bougainvilleans to be involved with semi-professional football one day,” he said.
Segeyaro said the programme would create a pathway for the youths.
“ I urge all teachers and parents to grab these opportunities with both hands and take it from there on,” he said.