Papua New Guinea Hunters

Last updated

Papua New Guinea Hunters
PNG Hunters logo.png
Club information
Full namePapua New Guinea Hunters Rugby League Football Club
Nickname(s)The Hunters
Short namePNG Hunters
Colours  Gold
  Black
  Red
Founded2013;11 years ago (2013)
Website www.pnghunters.com
Current details
Ground(s)
CEOScott Barker [1]
ChairmanStan Joyce
Coach Paul Aiton
CaptainIla Alu
Competition Hostplus Cup
Rugby football current event.png Current season
Records
Premierships (2nd grade)'1 (2017)
Runners-up (2nd grade)0
Minor premierships (2nd grade) 1 (2017)
Wooden spoons (2nd grade) 0
Most capped' – 135 Wartovo Puara

The Papua New Guinea Hunters (PNG Hunters) are a professional rugby league football club based in Papua New Guinea. They were formed in December 2013 and compete in the Queensland Cup, a second tier competition in Australia. [2] The Hunters are the second Papua New Guinean side to enter the Queensland Cup following the Port Moresby Vipers who competed for two seasons in 1996 and 1997. Every Hunters match is shown live on national free-to-air television. The Hunters' home ground is the National Football Stadium in Port Moresby and their team colours are gold, black and red. [3] The Hunters won the Hostplus Cup in 2017.

Contents

Since 2023, they are one of the feeder clubs for the Dolphins in the Australian National Rugby League.

Papua New Guinea NRL Bid

The Australian Labor Party have pledged their support behind a PNG team entering the National Rugby League competition. [4] Papua New Guinea have introduced a National Schools Rugby League Championships [5] which started in 2019 to prepare its junior rugby league talent from the six year olds [6] to the Under 18 divisions for the future. [7] The PNG Government, Australian Government, PNGRFL and QRL signed an agreement which will see the Australian Government assisting to develop the sport in the country. [8] Titled 'Growing and Supporting Rugby League in Papua New Guinea', it is an Australian Government initiative to develop pathways for PNG teams [9] like the Hunters Under 21s [10] [11] [12] and Hunters Women's [8] to play in high-level Australian sporting competitions with a focus on female athlete development, wellbeing and education, and commercial sustainability under the three year program. The PNG Government have officially launched the Papua New Guinea NRL Bid to participate in the Australian NRL Competition as the 18th team. [13] Andrew Hill, former Canterbury Bulldogs and RLWC 2017 CEO will lead the PNG 2028 NRL Bid. [14] Womens, Under-19 boys, Under-19 girls national competitions will start from 2025 to 2027. [15]

Strategic pathways partnership with Dolphins

In May 2022, the PNG Hunters announced a strategic pathways partnership with the Dolphins that includes full NRL pre-season participation for four young Papua New Guinean players, beginning in the PNGNRL Digicel Cup, through to the PNG Hunters in the Hostplus Cup and then directly into the Australian NRL system. [16]

Stadiums

Kalabond Oval

The Kalabond Oval which is in the town of Kokopo and has a capacity of 7,000 was the Hunters first home ground. The first ever home match in the Intrust Super Cup was against the defending champions Mackay Cutters on 8 March 2014 which the Hunters won 24-16. The ground was used for the club's first 2 seasons.

National Football Stadium

The National Football Stadium is in the capital city Port Moresby and after undergoing a major refurbishment it was announced in February 2016 that the Hunters would move to the ground for the 2016 season, [17] after they'd played one match there during the 2015 season against Souths Logan Magpies on 13 June 2015 winning 34-12.

2024 squad

PNG Hunters
First team squadCoaching staff
  • Trevor Solu – HK
  • Seal Kalo – PR
  • Anthony Worot – PR
  • Jordan Pat – SR
  • Robert Mathias – CE, SR
  • Joshua Mire – SO, HB
  • Jamie Mavoko – HB
  • Koso Bandi – PR
  • Finley Glare – HK
  • Junior Talin – PR, SR
  • Manase Kai – SR
  • Morea Morea – FB
  • Alex Max – CE, SR
  • Wendle Kipsy – PR, SR
  • Gairo Voro – HK
  • Bruce Bawa – CE, WG
  • Zechariah Selu – SO, HB

Head coach

Assistant coaches

  • Wartovo Puara
  • Enoch Maki
  • Scott Barker (CEO)
  • Edward Guise (Strength and Conditioning Coach)
  • Mong Tavol (Head Trainer)
  • Butler Morris (Trainer)
  • Simon Morris (Physiotherapist)
Legend:
  • (c) Captain(s)
  • (vc) Vice-captain(s)

Updated: 02 March 2024
Source(s): [18]

Notable players

See also

Related Research Articles

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Stargroth Amean is a Papua New Guinean professional rugby league footballer who plays for the Port Moresby Vipers. He was unable to return to the UK citing family reasons to play for Barrow Raiders in 2020 but remained under contract. He was part of the PNG Hunters team in 2017 which won the Queensland Cup. Primarily playing as a fullback, Amean has represented the Papua New Guinean national team, most notably at the 2017 World Cup and the 2019 World Cup 9s.

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The Papua New Guinea Hunters is a professional rugby league club from Papua New Guinea that participates in the Queensland Cup in Australia. They have relocated to Runaway Bay, Gold Coast for the 2021 Intrust Super Cup Season. The 2021 Intrust Super Cup will be the PNG Hunters' eighth season in rugby league's Queensland Cup after securing their future with a four-year license from 2019 until 2022. A 37-man train-on squad was announced for the pre season before it was trimmed and the final squad finalized. Doncaster RLFC agreed for Watson Boas to play with the Hunters squad until he was able to return to the United Kingdom. In partnership with PacificAus Sports( Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade), Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League, PNG Hunters and QRL signed a three year agreement titled 'Growing and Supporting Rugby League in Papua New Guinea' in February which will see the PacificAus Sports and QRL assisting to develop the sport in the country by creating pathways for emerging PNG players and also develop pathways for PNG teams like the PNG Hunters Under-19s and Papua New Guinea Hunters women's to take part in high-level Australian sporting competitions The Hunters travelled with a 24-man squad to Queensland after six could not travel due to visa issues. Three consultants were recruited to join the coaching team in order to refine and up-skill the coaching staff through funding by PacificAus sports program.

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The Dolphins are a professional rugby league football team, based in the Redcliffe Peninsula area of the City of Moreton Bay, that competes in the Australian National Rugby League (NRL).

The Papua New Guinea Hunters is a professional rugby league club from Papua New Guinea that participates in the Queensland Cup in Australia. Their 2022 official 27-man squad have relocated to Runaway Bay, Gold Coast for the second year in a row. The 2022 Hostplus Cup will be the PNG Hunters' ninth season in rugby league's Queensland Cup after securing their future with a four-year license from 2019 until 2022. They have reappointed Matt Church as their head coach to be supported by Assistant Coaches, Stanley Tepend and Paul Aiton.Two of the Hunters players, Anthony Worot and Sherwin Tanabi were given a one week train and trial with the Cowboys Young Guns and featured in the trial match for the Young Guns against the Mackay Cutters. The Hunters have announced a new strategic player pathways partnership with Dolphins (NRL) that will see four PNG Hunters players joining Dolphins (NRL) for a full NRL pre-season out of which two PNG Hunters players will remain with the Dolphins for the full NRL season commencing in 2023 and play for the Hunters on the weekends when not in the Top 17 team.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rodrick Tai</span> PNG international rugby league footballer

Rodrick Tai is a Papua New Guinean professional rugby league footballer who plays as a centre for the Warrington Wolves in the Super League and Papua New Guinea at international level.

The 2023 Hostplus Cup will be the PNG Hunters' tenth season in rugby league's Queensland Cup. The Papua New Guinea Hunters is a professional rugby league club from Papua New Guinea.

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References

  1. ↑ "Hunters reappoint Barker to CEO role". 25 October 2021.
  2. ↑ "Papua New Guinea gain entry to Queensland Cup 2014". ABC News. 28 November 2013.
  3. ↑ Pangkatana, John (24 December 2013). "Q-Cup name unveiled". The National.
  4. ↑ "Sport: Australia's Labor commits to backing PNG team in NRL". 19 December 2018.
  5. ↑ "Schools league gets K6 million – the National".
  6. ↑ "League unveils mini mod concept". 5 May 2019.
  7. ↑ "K6 million windfall for schools, KPHL invigorates PNGRFL program". 17 June 2021.
  8. 1 2 "Australia, PNG ink sport deal – the National".
  9. ↑ "Investment in game's future – the National".
  10. ↑ "Junior Hunters eyed – the National".
  11. ↑ "Vital to build on relocation – the National".
  12. ↑ "Golden chance". 29 March 2022.
  13. ↑ "Papua New Guinea launches bid to become NRL's 18th team". 4 May 2022.
  14. ↑ "2022: Papua New Guinea, Andrew Hill, PNG NRL Bid, Bulldogs, World Cup, Hill to lead PNG NRL Bid". NRL. 2 June 2022. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  15. ↑ "League rolls out five-year plan – the National".
  16. ↑ "Hunters announce strategic pathways partnership with Dolphins". 19 May 2022.
  17. ↑ http://one.png.com/2016/02/national-football-stadium-is-new-home.html [ permanent dead link ]
  18. ↑ "Squad Announcement". www.pnghunters.com. 2 March 2024.
  19. ↑ "Justin Olam - Storm". www.melbournestorm.com.au. Archived from the original on 5 March 2017.
  20. ↑ "Ipape re-signs with Leigh Centurions until 2025 – the National".
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