Trial for Pukpuks set
The National, Friday 14th June 2013
SELECTIONS to finalise the Monier Papua New Guinea Pukpuks will come to the fore in the final trial match at Bava Park at 3.30pm tomorrow.
The Pukpuks are being prepared to take part in the Oceania Cup that will be staged in Port Moresby from July 1-14.
Other countries from the region that are taking part are Cook Islands, Tahiti and Solomon Islands. PNG are the reigning Oceania Cup title holders.
These matches serve to kick-start the road to the 2015 Rugby World Cup (RWC) in Oceania. The winner will progress to play Fiji next year to determine the Oceania 1 position to join Australia, hosts England and Wales in Pool A.
The Pukpuks selection panel headed by head-coach Allan Manning also confirmed that all players that have been considered over the past few months including oversees-based players will be on show.
The core of the development squad went on a one-week tour to the Gold Coast, where they played three matches.
They accounted for the two local Gold Coast clubs before facing a reality check against the Australian Under 20 team.
The squad has a mixture of talent dominated by players from the Capital Rugby Union (CRU) in Port Moresby, plus a host of sprinkling talent from Lae, Kimbe, Bougainville, Kokopo and Madang.
Also in the local CRU premier grade matches tomorrow as well, Trukai Harlequins will be taken to task by Nova, Spartans desperate for a win will take on PNG Ports Wanderers.