Vipers bid to join NSW Cup pending

THE Port Moresby Vipers bid to join the New South Wales Cup is awaiting approval from the Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League.
Vipers’ chairman Dr. Newton Albert said they needed endorsement from the PNGRFL before negotiating with the NSW Cup.
“Our bid is still alive, it has not reached a state of negotiations as yet because we’re still waiting for response from PNGRFL,” Albert said.
Albert said they intend to boost rugby league standards at all levels in PNG and lead by example as the capital city franchise instead of stealing the Hunters’ thunder.
“We have written to them (PNGRFL) and as I speak, it’ll be a year now, that we have been given a bid request letter which has to be approved by them for us to start to have the negotiation.
“We’ve had some discussions with the guys at the NSW Cup and they’ve actually advised that we should get some sort of approval from the PNGRFL.
“We hope that they will do that soon then we can start to have some discussions with the NSW Cup management.
“We have Powes Parkop who is very supportive. Who wants to see that being achieved and be successful in our bid. Vipers is always taking the leading role as in the past.
“It all comes back to where our key priorities are. Having two teams for PNG is a win and bonus for PNG and it’s a win for the code of rugby.”
Albert said providing pathways would expose the bulk of players in the country and having Vipers in the NSW Cup competition would help in exposing these left out talents.