PNG Rugby Union announces women’s 7s team

PNG Rugby Union has announced its national women’s 7s team to next month’s Pacific Games in Apia, Samoa.

Chairman Syd Yates said coach Paul Tietjens has given the wider training squad, which has been in intense training since returning from the April Hong Kong 7s, every opportunity to make the final team.

Injuries, fitness levels, performance in game situation, attitude on and off the field, commitment and dedication to training, were among the factors that were used to name the final team.

The team, like all the others who will be competing in the Pacific Games also had to come under close scrutiny from the PNG Olympic Committee Justification Committee before it was accepted as the national side to represent Papua New Guinea.

PNG is grouped in the same Pool B as Fiji, Nauru and Solomon Islands.

Pool B has Australia, Samoa, New Caledonia and American Samoa.  

Yates said the High Performance program has been ongoing since November last year and committed sponsors have been an integral part of building this team.

“Naming Right sponsors ICTSI South Pacific has been absolutely fantastic and we are truly grateful to Anil Singh and his hard working staff in Port Moresby and Lae for their continuous commitment to the women’s 7s rugby high performance program,” Yates said.

“Our support sponsors G4s who has taken care of our transportation moving the players and the coaching and management staff to the early morning trainings, and to other activities, the National Gaming Control Board, Credit Corporation, TNT, Club Pukpuk, High Performance Centre at Aquatic Centre, National Sports Trust Ltd, KPMG, PNG Olympic Committee, the PNG Sports Foundation and PNG Government, these are partners without whose assistance, our HP Program would not be possible.

“Our ICTSI Palais just recently returned from a tournament on the Gold Coast in Australia and some of the players who could take time off from work or studies are in Lae involved in a series of coaching clinics for schools which ICTSI has organised in conjunction with rugby partners SCRUM.”

The full team, with those from Australia, will assemble in Port Moresby joining the rest of the Team PNG contingent to fly out to Apia, Samoa, on July 5.

The Rugby 7s program is on July 12-13.

Full team: Kymlie Rapilla (captain), Helen Abau, Lynette Kwarula, Melanie Kewa, Yolanda Gittins, Fatima Rama, Taiva Lavai, Gemma Schnaubelt, Marlugu Dixon, Alice Alois, Gwen Pokana and Marie Biyama.

Head coach is Paul Tietjens while the team manager is Ann Mooney.

Author: 
Press release