Rugby eyeing big year

PAPUA New Guinea Rugby Union (PNGRU) president Paul Siwi says 2022 will be big year for the code with the introduction of its super sevens series and the return of the Four Nations Cup.
Siwi said the code was determined to get back on track following disruptions over the past two years due to the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
“After a lull over the past two years due to Covid-9 and a few other factors, the 2022 year, is set to be a mammoth year,” Siwi said in a statement.
“The rugby office has been in strategic planning mode since September last year, preparing to deliver non-stop rugby programmes over the next 12 months.
“New fixtures on the calendar are the inaugural Super Sevens Series, the Four Nations Cup and the Independence Sevens.
“The National 15s Championships will also be staged this year.
“These tournaments are exciting opportunities to showcase rugby to the public, and unite our country through the international events,” he said.
“With the reopening of international borders, the newly created Four Nations Cup which is the brainchild of the PNGRU, will see PNG in a series of international matches against the Cook Islands, Niue and the Solomon Islands.”
The PNGRU calendar starts next month with qualifiers for the Super Sevens series in the New Guinea Islands and Highlands region while the Four Nations Cup is scheduled for May 7-14.
Meanwhile, PNGRU also announced that a high performance unit (HPU) for the code would be established this year to work with its elite athletes and teams to raise the standard of the code.