The PNG Residents Women’s team recently made history being the first Papua New Guinean team to participate in the annual Australian National Women’s Championships. The 2024 Harvey Norman National Championships held on the Gold Coast from the 20th - 24th of March 2024 in Burleigh, saw the PNG team join Fiji in their inaugural appearance with the support of the PacificAus Sports and the NRL. The PNG Residents team played 4 matches during the 4-day tournament, grabbing two wins, and suffering two losses. NSW Country Women 22 - PNG 0 PNG 44 - South Australia 0 PNG 6 - ADF Women 0 First Nation Gems 12 - PNG 0 The tournament saw an enormous effort by the PNG Residents, with solid performances from the 18 women squad and seeing Belinda Gwasamun take out the Tahnee Norris Player of the Tournament and five-eighth, Meli Joe, being named in the Team of the Tournament. Head Coach of the PNG Residents, Solomon Kuliniasi said of the ladies effort, “I am absolutely proud of the team. From day one of the campaign to the last game, they did their country proud.” “They committed, sacrificed, and worked hard for each other. The hours they put in at training was the foundation for the team's success.” The team successfully completed the NRL’s RISE ROOKIE Program, culminating in their selection in the first ever women’s team from PNG to represent the country in this tournament. The team was predominantly made up of female athletes from the 2023 PNG National Women’s Championships, the 2023 Prime Ministers XIII and the 2023 Pacific Championships and also players who participated in international invitational matches and fixtures at the end of last year. General Manager for the PNGRFL’s Performance and Pathways, Tony Archer said, “The team’s prepare and performance is a further indication of the talent we have in women Rugby League in PNG which will only be further strengthened with the potential of the Women’s National Competition later this year and the work being done by the NRL Bid in Junior Development Pathways.” “We were fortunate as the Australian National Women’s Championships has been a proven pathway for aspiring players hoping to make their way into the state wide and ultimately the NRLW.” “These championships gave an opportunity for our players to showcase their skills in an important International Pathway Championship. It is a credit to all the players, coaches, and support staff on their performances, and just as importantly how they represented themselves, their families and nation. We all should be very proud of each of them. We thank the NRL for organizing such an event and the on-going support of PacificAus Sport program. We look forward to providing more similar opportunities for our female players” Archer said. The participation of the PNG Residents came off the back of the increased engagement and support shown for the development of the women’s game and the performance of the Santos PNG Orchids over the past five years, which included their semi-final berth at the 2023 Rugby League World Cup in England and their Pacific Championships win against the Cook Islands in Port Moresby.