Town to stage finals

 Women’s rugby league in Mendi, Southern Highlands, will have its first-ever grand final this Sunday, president Marianne Tahono says.

The final will be between Upa Royals and TNT Jets.

Tahon said the league had started this year and had run a four-team competition, which had raised interest among women.

“Women do have great potential, ever since rugby came into PNG,” Tahon said.

Tahon said the league was looking to expand the competition next year but would see how much interest was there.

The four teams that make up the Mendi competition are Royals, Jets, Bulldogs and Tarangau.

Tahon, who is a coordinator for women’s and schoolboys league in Mendi, said she was passionate about developing the sport among women and at the junior level in the town and surrounding district.

She said affiliating under the nation women’s league (PNGWRFL) had enabled young women in the district to play the sport that up until last year, they could only watch.

“Rugby league in Mendi and Southern Highlands has a big following, especially with the success of the Mendi Muruks and for the women here, it is no different; they want to play the sport too,” Tahon said.

Tahon, who played in the Goroka (Eastern Highlands) women’s competition from 2003 to 2013 and represented the Highlands Zone at the national championships,  said the decision to bring the game to women in Mendi was a natural one.

She urged businesses in Mendi to consider backing the women’s competition as well as the men’s as they were just as passionate about the sport.