Former Kundiawa Warriors coach Steven Gore Kaupa has called on the PNGRFL to seriously consider creating permanent rugby leagues in rural areas so raw talents can be identified easily.
Kaupa who last coached the Warriors in the then SP Cup competition said the new PNGRFL board, when voted in, must put this into action and seriously see that it bears fruit.
“We got to identify and improve all leagues and stop the urban drift, we got to improve the entire rural league.
“There’s no need for someone to come from Karamui or Gumine to play rugby league in Kundiawa town which is 10 km drive or why should a person from Kerema drive all the way to Port Moresby to play rugby league.
“We have to create the leagues in rural areas and to make league work we have to identify corporate sponsors which PNGRFL has failed over the years,” Kaupa said.
Kaupa challenged the PNGRFL board to get corporate sponsors to look after these rural centres so that the game can develop rapidly in the town or district.
Kaupa gave an example of the Kundiawa rugby league because past PNGRFL board never visited the league to make sure it was running smoothly.
“Kundiawa rugby league came to a stop because someone died and PNGRFL never stepped in to assist (they took a back seat) and over the last two years we did not have a local competition this must stop next year and PNGRFL must work and take the responsibility,” Kaupa said.
He said rugby league needed to move on and PNGRFL must adopt a concrete plan similar to the governments 2010-2050 plan.
“The vision PNGRFL should have for the next 10-15 years is to have a market plan in place have a website (created) where our players are marketed overseas without them coming and without us going its long overdue,” Kaupa said.
Kaupa who has also applied for the coaching position of the Kundiawa Warriors said if he was successfully he was looking forward to take the franchise to new heights.
“We are making a comeback and we are praying and hoping the bemobile cup board accept us into the 2010 comp. Chimbu has got a lot of young talent but that was wasted in the last few years when in 2006 Warriors ceased due to no sponsorship and PNGRFL did not care to visit us and help us.
“Warriors are a block busting team we bring in the crowd and generate revenue. When we are playing in PRL the place is packed, we are crowd goer and have the products that can bring in money and PNGRFL should take on some responsibility to see that we survive,” Kaupa said.
SOURCE: POST COURIER/PACNEWS
News feature
