Taumu calls for pathway development

CENTRAL Dabaris recruit and former Papua New Guinea Pukpuk Troy Taumu says he switched to rugby league due to a lack of development pathways in rugby union.
The former flanker said although he was honoured to have represented the country in rugby union, the sport provided limited incentive for players to further their careers in the code.
“There are not many pathways that give you the opportunity to showcase your talent overseas and push for a professional contract,” Taumu told The National.
“I love playing rugby union, it’s a gentlemen’s game.
“But the issue is the limited pathways in PNG which is why I switched codes.
“Compared with rugby union, rugby league is bigger in PNG and there are more opportunities to gain exposure and go abroad.
“For rugby union, there are limited opportunities and not enough exposure.
“You can represent the country and all but after that, there are limited development pathways to make a career out of rugby union.”
But Taumu said he was hopeful of further developments in rugby union, including the creation of more pathways.
“Coming from a player, I think there should be more focus on development pathways by the sport’s governing body,” the former PNG representative said.
Taumu said he was looking forward to making his Dabaris debut in the country’s premier rugby league competition, the Digicel Cup, next weekend.