Papua New Guinea's NRL Bid Progresses with Showcase Tournament in Eastern Highlands

Papua New Guinea's NRL Bid Progresses with Showcase Tournament in Eastern Highlands 

Papua New Guinea's NRL Bid Advances with Upcoming Tournament in Eastern Highlands

by ONE PNG

July 11, 2024  Headlines, NRL, Sports

Papua New Guinea's aspirations to join the National Rugby League (NRL) are set to progress as the nation's top young rugby talent gathers in the Eastern Highlands later this month.

The highly anticipated tournament, scheduled for July 20-21 in Goroka, will draw attention from across the PNG Rugby League community, showcasing exceptional emerging players as they demonstrate their skills on the field.

Papua New Guinea's NRL Bid Advances with Upcoming Tournament in Eastern Highlands[PNGRFL PHOTO]

A key highlight of the event will be the work of the NRL Bid Academy. Supported through the PNG Aus partnership and led by experienced coach Joe Grima, the academy focuses on preparing the best Under-15, U17, U19 boys and U18 girls for success both on and off the field.

The academy's 16-week program, the first of its kind in PNG, is identifying talent across the country capable of competing with the top young players from Australia and New Zealand. This initiative is seen as a crucial step towards establishing an NRL club in PNG.

Andrew Hill, the chief executive of PNG's NRL bid, emphasized the importance of this competition in evaluating the skill levels of junior players.

“We are creating a solid structure for the game in this country, one that will put us in the best possible position to succeed,” Hill stated. “The development of the academy under Joe Grima and a great group of coaches has been incredibly important. This tournament is the next step towards preparing our young talent for the future.

“It will see the best players compete over two days and showcase the fact that in the coming years, we have the depth and skill level required to compete against the best young talent from the NRL. I look forward to what will be a great event for the game here in PNG.”