Violence has no place here

Greetings to all our rugby league family and welcome to our 12th edition of Fulltime Reserve, a weekly column to discuss all matters rugby league in our favourite newspaper The National.
The two major stories on mainstream and social media in Papua New Guinea this week has been the start of our rugby league season and the public outcry against gender-based violence.
Whilst we are excited about the start of the rugby league season this weekend, we are also reminded of the stark and dark realities faced by our women and the community at large as a consequence of wanton violence.
The rugby league family stands united with all our people across PNG to fight this scourge that is destroying our families and homes and continues to be an unacceptable impediment to growth and prosperity for our people, communities and country.
We condemn all forms of violence and call for collective vigilance and resolve to eradicate it from our homes and communities.
In the recent past, rugby league itself was affected by violence that threatened and deterred the growth and progress of the sport at all levels.
The PNG Rugby Football League (PNGRFL) has taken huge strides to ensure that the sport cleansed itself of violence by adopting a zero tolerance policy on it and started advocating our core values of respect, honour, discipline, teamwork and fairplay.
Whilst violence continues to be a threat, we have put in measures to deal with it proactively to ensure that we send a message that the sport or the rugby league family will not tolerate violence.
PNGRFL now also works with our many partners to leverage and use the popularity and passion our people have in the sport to encourage our youths to become better people through the above values.
On a broader scale, PNGRFL continues to utilise our international marquee events such as, the annual Prime Minister’s 13 matches and other PNG LNG Kumuls and Oil Search PNG Orchids events, to promote programmes such as “stop violence against women”, “strongpela man —respektim meri”, “stop violence” and many others.
The SP Hunters and the Digicel Cup teams also play a huge role in working with our partners to develop programmes and interventions to raise awareness and advocate for proactive action to address this and other social challenges in our communities.
As our rugby league programmes start this year with the Digicel Cup this weekend, we call on our rugby league family across PNG to adopt our core values and demonstrate them in all their conduct and be an advocate for positive influence and change in our homes and communities.
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Until next week, may the grace, love and care of our Good Lord be with you.

Cheers,
Sandis