Palais named for Oceania sevens

THE Papua New Guinea Rugby Football Union named its national women’s sevens side, the Palais, for the 2016 Oceania Sevens Championships in Suva, Fiji next month.
The tournament is from Nov 11-12 at the ANZ Stadium.
The bulk of the players are Port Moresby-based and were selected following the conclusion of the National Provincial Championships 7s in Port Moresby earlier in the month.
PNGRFU development manager Sailosi Druma said the Palais would travel to Fiji with the national men’s side as both teams look to improve their ranking, as well as qualify for bigger tournaments next year.
“The Palais and the Papua New Guinea men’s sevens teams will be playing at this tournament but we’ll also be sending a women’s 15s side as well,” Druma said.
“The women’s 15s team will play in a one-off World Cup qualification match for the repechage.”
The Oceania Sevens Rugby Championship men’s and women’s has seen organisers combined both formats into one tournament, with PNGRFU set to send both PNG men and Palais teams.
The Oceania Sevens was introduced as a result of the successful and highly popular World Rugby HSBC World Series and the Rugby World Sevens Cup.
The Oceania region boasts the cream of the crop in regards to top performers in world sevens and as such, the annual Oceania Sevens is a hotly-contested competition.
The Oceania Sevens also serves as a qualifier for non-core men’s teams into the Wellington, Sydney and Hong Kong legs of the World Rugby Sevens Series.
The teams depart PNG on Tuesday.
The Palais 15s side will play Fiji in the World Cup qualifier on Nov 5.
Papua New Guinea Palais sevens squad: 1. Lynnette Kwarula, 2. Debbie Kaore, 3. Kymlie Rapilla, 4. Joanne Lagona, 5. Cassandra Sampson, 6. Taiva Lavai, 7. Geua Larry, 8. Thereseanne Daimol, 9. Helen Abau, 10. Augusta Livuana, 11. Harkana Dixon, 12. Marlugu Dixon.