Kaupa the centre of attention

By JACK AMI
ROYALS centre Naomi Kaupa is gunning for a berth in the Papua New Guinea side to this year’s women’s Rugby League World Cup in Sydney.
The November tournament maybe five months away but the Simbu lass is determined to make an impression on selectors every week of the Port Moresby season and see where it takes her.
Known as “Nadz” to her club mates, the 25-year-old from Dulai village in the Salt Nomane district, knows her work is cut out for her in making the national side with virtually every good player in the nation’s capital and other competitions across the country having the same chance as her.
Kaupa has been in the sport for seven years and has honed her game to be a powerful three-quarter who enjoys the challenge of prying open defences with a mixture of brute force and speed.
Physically, Kaupa has the size to match it with any other PNG squad aspirant, but what separates the 167cm, 70kg back from most of her peers is her ability to be a ball player when the situation requires it.
Kaupa has shown she can slot into the halves at a pinch and this attribute, more than anything else, could give her an edge in her push for a spot in coach Dennis Miall’s team.
She is committed to trying to make the team and that single-mindedness is a key to staying focused on the challenge ahead of her.
Of course it does help that she has been an integral part of the team that has won the last two PRL women’s premierships.
But Kaupa is keeping her feet firmly planted on the ground.
“There are other players like me who are also performing well, so I have to perform to my best in every match,” Kaupa said.
She is a proven match-winner having scored crucial tries for Royals in both grand final wins against Souths and Paga in the last two season deciders.
That kind of big game experience and ability to deliver when it counts would only add to her cachet with selectors going forward.
In terms of regional representation, Kaupa was a member of the Southern Zone side to the 2013, 2014 and 2015 national championships.
“I’m looking forward to the Southern Zone trials and then the National Zone Championships in July in Lae.
“I can’t wait to prove myself against the best from the other zones (Northern, Highlands and New Guinea Islands) who are going to be just as determined to do well.”
Kaupa is well and truly on the selectors’ radar having been named in a 40-member squad which the PNGRFL plans to use as the base to pick their national side for the World Cup.