Revised season for Digicel Cup

Greetings to all our rugby league family and welcome to our seventh edition of Fulltime Reserve, a weekly column to discuss all matters rugby league in our favourite newspaper The National.
Great news this week with the Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League (PNGRFL) receiving conditional approval from the state of emergency (SOE) controller for its revised season programmes under the “Banis Protocols”, which provide public health guidelines for rugby league’s “new normal”.
The conditional approval is initially for one competition only and is further subject to the PNGRFL meeting two conditions, which are:
• Specific protocols around crowd control; and,
• Training plan for team doctors, physiotherapists and club medics on Covid-19 and health protocols.
Whilst giving the approval, the SOE controller commended PNGRFL for a “detailed and thorough submission”, which was further acknowledged as the only one” he had received “from any sporting body within PNG”.
PNGRFL and our partners are greatly encouraged by the approval and we will be presenting to the SOE controller our revised match-day “Banis Protocols” and a stakeholder engagement strategy which addresses the two conditions.
In line, with the approval for one competition, PNGRFL will initially be prioritising the start of the Digicel Cup season, which is scheduled for kick-off on July 5.
PNGRFL is immediately moving to implement our operations plans for the revised Digicel Cup season, which has been awaiting the approval.
The plan starts with our strategy to inform and update all our franchises and stakeholders, including venue and event managers, around the guidelines and match-day requirements for the “new normal” under the “Banis Protocols”.
PNGRFL will also start work immediately to liaise with our affiliate leagues and national schools competition to ensure strict standards and compliance with the SOE guidelines and the “Banis Protocols” before any approval is sought from the controller, relevant authorities or the PNGRFL for any of them to start.
PNGRFL will provide a comprehensive update on the revised season plans, “Banis Protocols” and other plans leading up to next year’s Rugby League World Cup for all our key partners and stakeholders at our annual general meeting, which is now confirmed for next Saturday.
Join us this week for the “Half-Time” show on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages today at 5.30pm as we speak to PNG LNG Kumul No.292 Kyle Laybutt who is in Townsville, Australia.
We have an exciting line-up on the show for our next two episodes with Kumul No.294 Alex Johnston in Australia and Kumul No.255 Wellington Albert in the United Kingdom joining us in the next two weeks.
We can also be contacted on [email protected] to provide feedback on issues covered in this column weekly or ask questions on matters that you would like us to discuss.
Until next week, may the grace, love and care of our Good Lord be with you.

Cheers,
Sandis