The Santos PNG Orchids will depart for England on Wednesday 12 October to prepare for the Women’s Rugby League World Cup (RLWC), which kicks off on Monday 1 November.
PNG-based players and staff will depart Port Moresby on Monday 10 October to join their Australia based counterparts in Brisbane, and the full squad will travel together to the UK. The Orchids will conduct their pre-tournament training camp in Leeds, where they will be based for the duration of the event, and will play a warm-up match against English Women’s Grand Finalists York City Knights on Thursday 20 October.
The Orchids have been drawn in group A of the tournament and their pool matches will be against Canada on 1 November in Leeds, Brazil on 5 November in Hull, and England on 9 November in Leeds. Santos PNG Orchids coach Ben Jeffries said the recent Prime Minister’s XIII defeat against Australia (64-6) in late September, the Orchids’ first fixture since November 2019, provided some valuable indicators to shape the team’s preparations for RLWC.
“The learnings we took out of PM’s XIII were that we need to focus on both attack and defence, and the defensive components will intensify once we get to the UK,” Jeffries said. “Over the past few weeks all players have been training back in their respective regions both individually and in groups, with a focus on fitness levels, to ensure we give ourselves the best opportunity to perform on the world stage.
“Our pre-tournament camp in England will allow us to acclimatise, bond, play a trial game and work hard on the aspects we need to focus on to ensure we’re ready for the tournament. Once it kicks off, the games come thick and fast with very little time in between, so preparation is key. Most of all we want the players to enjoy it and gain some life experiences in the UK.
“The trial match against York will be a good indicator of how we’ve progressed since PM’s XIII and how well we have taken on board the finer details that are vital to performing on an international stage. It will also give a real indication to the coaching staff of which players have worked hard in their individual training over the past couple of weeks, away from the team environment. Finally, individual performances against York will be crucial for team selections in our first two matches against Canada and Brazil.”
Since announcing the 23-player RLWC squad in August, the Orchids have been forced to make two changes and call up two players from the shadow squad. In September, Sareka Mooka was ruled out for eligibility reasons and was replaced by Emily Veivers. This weekend, 19-year-old halfback Elizabeth Kapa was ruled out for medical reasons and has been replaced by Ua Ravu.
“Medically we couldn’t be guaranteed that Elizabeth could perform at her best for the next five to six weeks, unfortunately,” confirmed Jeffries. “Through this whole process our priority has been Elizabeth’s health, especially with her being so young. We give her our best wishes in recovery and have no doubt that with the rest and medical attention needed, Elizabeth will back better than ever and believe that she has a bright future ahead of her if she keeps applying herself within the rugby league pathway. I see Elizabeth being a long-term Santos PNG Orchid for many years to come.
“Additionally, I would like to highlight the important work done by our team managers Urith Toa and Cassie Davis, along with our wellbeing manager Dr Jo Lukins, in supporting Elizabeth through these unfortunate circumstances so close to our departure. “However, with Elizabeth’s disappointment comes Ua Ravu’s recall to the Orchids squad, and she is very excited to be on the plane this coming Wednesday. Having represented the Orchids in 2019, Ua will bring significant experience and will no doubt have an influence amongst her peers on and off the field.
Ua is able to play several positions and we know versatility will be a key component within the squad, as this is such a compact tournament with our pool games so close together”. The top two Women’s RLWC teams from group A (featuring Brazil, Canada, England and PNG) will progress to the semi-finals on 14 November, alongside the top two teams from group B (which features Australia, Cook Islands, France and New Zealand). The women’s and men’s RLWC finals will be staged as a double-header at Old Trafford, Manchester on Saturday 19 November.
PNGRFL CEO Mr Stanley Hondina said: “On behalf of the PNGRFL chairman Sandis Tsaka and his board, we are happy with the in-depth preparation work done thus far ahead of this tournament and we are looking forward to the Santos PNG Orchids doing well at RLWC. “We wish them safe travels and assure them that the whole nation will be behind them and cheering, even at 3am PNG time. Go well and be good ambassadors of the sport and of our nation.”
Santos PNG Orchids chairlady Ms Okaro Yogi said: “I would like to wish the Santos PNG Orchids the very best as they prepare to take their place amongst other nations at the Rugby League World Cup in England. “It has been an absolute privilege to work closely with this courageous group of women who are united by their love for rugby league and their country.
“I am indeed proud of how far they have come in their journey to the World Cup with the support of all our valuable sponsors and partners including Santos, Digicel, National Gaming Control Board, Bank South Pacific, PacificAus Sports, City Pharmacy Limited and Theodist. I also recognise the amazing support staff who have gone above and beyond to prepare our national women’s rugby league team.”
