Lagatois to submit Digicel Cup bid

CENTRAL Lagatois will submit their second bid to enter the semi-professional Digicel Cup rugby league competition in 2013.
Franchise executive Ivan Ravu confirmed this yesterday, saying they were ready to make their presentation to the PNG NRL board.
Ravu is also the founder of the Southern Nines tournament currently being held at the Lloyd Robson Oval in Boroko, NCD.
“We are making our second bid for the Digicel Cup competition through a well documented presentation like the 2011 bid that was overlooked by the previous PNG NRL board,” he said.
Ravu said he had invited board chairman Sudhir Guru to witness the presentation but had yet to receive confirmation from the board.
“It’s disappointing when you have a well documented presentation and not be accepted due to reasons beyond your control,” Ravu said.
“We are confident that potential major and minor sponsors will come on board as soon as the franchise is accepted by the board.
“In 2011, we had a potential sponsor willing to support the franchise financially but that was denied by the NRL board which accepted teams that were not performing in the competition.
“We have quality players who can bring the semi-professional football to another level with a different style of play.”
Ravu’s brother, Solomon, said a 40-member training squad would be selected after the Southern nines tournament, which would be trimmed to 15 to take part in the Cabramatta international 9s tournament in Sydney, Australia, next February.
He added that players from the Southern nines competition would form the basis of the proposed Central Lagatois team.