Rusa eager to make their presence felt at tournament

By ERIC PIET
IF Rusa manage to get their administration side going to enter the Coca-Cola Ipatas Cup (CCIC), the Kiunga Rugby League runners-up want to make their presence felt rather than just being another team in the tournament.
With cup enthusiasm high in Western’s rugby league-mad North Fly District, clubs have started to pursue registration with their eight-man interim executives headed by John Passingan for the inaugural CCIC challenge in Kiunga.
The big game is scheduled for Dec 21-23 in the district.
Rusa, last year’s Kiunga champions, are showing great enthusiasm to test themselves and club president Hosea Nimmy told The National that he was confident of fielding a reasonably strong team.
They are expected to pay their K1000 affiliation fee, which includes player registration fees.
“I have approached my boys to gauge their views on the prospects of us having to put up a team for this inaugural CCIC challenge in the province and the interest is overwhelming,” Nimmy said.
“We will definitely affiliate by paying our K1000 fee.”
Players do not lack drive nor determination and the timing seem perfect for them as they are fresh from their KRL grand final played a week ago.
“My boys have the composure and the drive to play in that tournament,” Nimmy said.
“The players don’t need outside motivation as they are just fresh from our grand final, we look forward to taking on the other participating seven teams in the three-day event here.
“Once we affiliate, we will have coach Sheff Yoang taking the boys through some drills and training.”
Nimmy said they would enter the competition with some caution as stakes would be and other teams were equally competitive but he was quietly confident.
He also knew the capabilities of teams from Tabubil and Ningerum.
“We will just have to go in with a positive mind to face them in this challenge,” Nimmy said.