St Joseph’s runs rugby festival

St Joseph’s International College had their school rugby union festival involving more than 1000 students from elementary to high school last Friday.
This was an annual event for the school that started in 2012, initiated by Australia Rugby Union, to promote the sport in PNG at the junior level.
School sports master John Agovai said it was a project currently run in two other Pacific island countries — the Solomon Islands and Samoa.
Agovai said the students had 10 weeks of theory lessons and practical over the last term and the festival was the event that capped off what they had learned.
The under eights were given balls to throw around while the competitions of sevens and 10s were played by the older students aged 10 to 17 years.
Students over the age of 17 participated in the 15s union competition.
“The aim is to help students to stay in school, promote the sport at a junior level and promote health and fitness,” Agovai said.
“It’s good to have the parents showing up supporting the children, such activities will help development of the children and for rugby union as well.
“It’s about teaching children discipline and good behaviour in sports but it will also help the students in the social aspect too.”
Agovai said he use the event to help pick Under-15 and U17 teams who could compete in the NCD school rugby union competition later this year.