The 3 day New Ireland Rugby 9’s Provincial Tournament hosted in Namatanai town ended on a high note on Sunday 25th July.
A total of 12 teams took part in the tournament. Four teams each from Kavieng, Konos and Namatanai districts, comprising of 2 male and 2 female teams each. They were selected from district tournaments played earlier on in the year.
The games were lively with players showing great skills and fitness. The tournament also proved entertaining for the Namatanai residents who could not contain their excitement and emotions during the grand final games.
In the end it was the Kavieng team’s both men’s and women’s sides that took out the Champion Trophy’s.
The Kavieng 2 mens’s side beat Sentral 1, 4 nil. While the Kavieng 1 women’s side beat Sentral 2, 4 nil.
According to a Rugby New Ireland official, the Tournament allows for them to scout individual players to make up elite teams for the 2022 PNG Games.
“We are scouting talent from these tournaments. We will observe and monitor each player during the course of the year and by early next year we should have confirmed names for the PNG games,” said Kavieng District Rugby Co-ordinator Mathew Kataka.
President of the Namatanai Rugby League Albert Tora remarked that New Ireland Rugby has definitely transitioned to a new level especially with the schools Rugby league development program.
The 9’s Tournament was made possible through the major sponsorship of the New Ireland Government while winning prizes were sponsored by Prominent Namatanai local Leon Buskens.
The New Ireland Government signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the PNG Rugby League board this year to pilot the PNGRFL Governance framework. The framework has since been implemented up in the Highlands, in the Momase region, the Southern region and in East New Britain on the 24th of this month.