Young Rimbu working hard, dreams of donning national colours

By PARKER TAMBUA
ANY child playing rugby league while growing up in Papua New Guinea would always dream of donning the Kumuls jumper or play for the SP Hunters and Hela Wigmen teenager Judah Rimbu is no exception.
The 18-year-old, who debuted in the Digicel Cup this year, says he aims to achieve his dream of playing for the Hunters and representing the country one day.
At age 14, while a grade eight student at Waigani Primary School in 2016, Rimbu was selected from school boys rugby league competition and went on to represent the PNG Under-16 side against a New South Wales U16 side.
The match was the curtain raiser for the annual Prime Minister’s 13 clash between PNG and Australia at the Oil Search National Football Stadium in Port Moresby.
In 2017, Rimbu again played for the national U16 in the corresponding fixture and scored two tries which saw the junior side recorded their first ever win against their NSW counterparts.
The youngster then joined the Wests Rugby League club U20 side in the Port Moresby Rugby Football League competition in 2018 and played halfback for two seasons before being scouted by the Wigmen in 2019 pre-season.
Rimbu’s other successes at junior level are being part of the champion Southern Region U16 squad that won the national zones championships in 2015 and 2016. He also won the U20 championship with Southern Region in 2018.
Rimbu, from Rogoma village in Kagua, Southern Highlands, completed grade 11 last year at Badihagwa Secondary School in Port Moresby but withdrew this year to play with the Wigmen.
“All I ever wanted is to play for PNG either in Hunters or Kumuls may be,” he said.
“It’s possible but I will have to be disciplined on and off the field and work very hard in training.
“I put my studies aside this year just to play. But next year I’ll try apply to De La Sale Secondary to complete grade 12.
“It’s been challenging for me playing in the Digicel Cup for the first time but I am learning a lot. Especially playing alongside the boys in the Wigmen. It’s awesome. I’m learning from them and hope to build on into the future.
“I won’t give up. I will continue to be committed and play the game I love. I know my family is supportive.