Rugby league’s strategic vision

Greetings to our rugby league family and welcome to our 31st edition of Fulltime Reserve, a weekly column to discuss all matters rugby league in our favourite newspaper The National.
The Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League (PNGRFL) is in the final stages of finalising its 2020-2021 calendar which will be released by the end of this month.
Whilst the SP Hunters’ relocation and the 2021 Rugby League World Cup are major events, the calendar will also map out the workplan for all our domestic and international programmes.
The annual workplan is developed in line with PNGRFL’s 10-year strategic plan which articulates the six key priority areas for the sport:
• Game development — Improving participation numbers and game standards;
• High performance — Creating elite pathways for our athletes and officials, and improving our national teams’ performances and standing;
• Sportsmanship, culture and professionalism — Honouring our values and heritage and leveraging the power and influence of rugby league to develop good citizens, empowering our people and being a vehicle for social change, nation building and national unity;
• Commercial sustainability and financial efficiency — Ensuring that the sport achieves commercial success, financial efficiency and accountability;
• Governance and administration — Developing, promoting and instilling good governance practices, and effective, efficient and competent management and administration in the game; and,
• Partnerships and stakeholder relationships — developing and fostering robust relationships with all domestic, regional and international partners and stakeholders to promote the sport.
These six strategic priorities cut across the six tiers of PNGRFL’s competition structure:
• Mini mode – A education-based programme for children between the ages of six and 12 years;
• Coca-Cola National Schools Rugby League — A competition for boys and girls aged between 13 and 18 years;
• Affiliate league competitions — All PNGRFL-sanctioned competitions across PNG.
• The PNG National Rugby League Competition (Digicel Cup) — The elite competition for provincial franchises;
• The SP Hunters — the national elite team in the Queensland Intrust Super Cup; and,
• The PNG LNG Kumuls, Oil Search PNG Orchids, PNG PM’s 13 and Residents – the elite national representative teams.
Over the next few weeks, we will highlight the key programmes planned this year under each of the six tiers of the sport and how they align to the strategic visions for the game. Join us on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages to follow this and more rugby league stories.
We can also be contacted via [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