Official urges schools to integrate programme

By ROBINSON LEKA
PAPUA New Guinea Rugby Union (PNGRU) has urged member associations in the provinces to integrate its Get into Rugby (GIR) programme into schools following a donation of rugby equipment from the Australian government yesterday.
PNGRU education and training coordinator Sailosi Druma urged associations to involve schools in their respective provinces as they played an important role in talent identification and game development.
“It’ll help associations create participants to come through the schools programme and hopefully we’ll start to see young talents coming through,” he said.
“Associations must have this programme with them.
“They shouldn’t only concentrate on their club programme (or competitions), they must also have a school programme so that when the kids finish from school, they can always find a club to join.”
Druma said a few schools in Port Moresby had begun their Under-16 competitions with a girls’ division also planned for next year.
Meanwhile, he confirmed that the GIR programme for this year was largely affected due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
But Druma said only Central’s Rigo coast and East Sepik were the only two areas that had undergone the programme.
“For the Rigo coast, we have eight elementary schools, six primary schools and two high schools which are Kemabolo and Hood Point and they’ll be having their rugby festival this month,” he said.
“East Sepik will be having their rugby festival next month and we have 12 schools there taking part so the programme is active in these two provinces.”