By CHARLIE DUMAVI
PAPUA New Guinea Rugby Football League (PNGRFL) has launched a new four-year (2023-2027) High Performance Strategic Plan (HPSP) today in partnership with Queensland rugby league (QRL) and the PacificAus Sports.
PNGRFL Chief Executive officer Stanley Hondina said the plan covers the elite pathway and is finalized after several consultations and surveys with the rugby league community and professionals in the field of high performances.
“We’ve done extensive consultations with all stakeholders; we’ve done some Facebook surveys and widely consulted everyone in the game so what is on paper is what our people and the lovers of the game have shared, especially their concerns and the thoughts,” Mr. Hondina said.
He said the plan is one of three plans that are set to be launched this year.
“All these plans come off our six-year rugby league structure that encompasses the youths as early as six year old all the way to the adults.”
He said there is a community rugby league structure that covers the bottom tier than there is National Rugby League Competition strategic plan that covers the semi-professional competition or Digicel cup competition and there is HPSP that covers the elite pathway.
The HPSP will use part of what PacificAus Sports program funding of about K15 million given to PNGRFL to run such program for the duration of five years.
PacificAus Sports program strategy and gender councillor Krishni Goonesena said they are all about promoting what is best for Australia and PNG to share.
“Australia through PacificAus Sports program is helping to develop pathway for Pacific teams to compete in elite Australia competitions and increasing access to high performance coaching,” Goonesena said.
Moreover, PNGRFL HP general manager, Marc Portus expressed that HPSP is not a cut and paste from what is used in Australia or some path of the world.
“It is the version done by PNG to suit the elite PNG players.”
He said the major thing is to provide guide to help PNG rugby system to ill up the expertise gap that is now in existence.
“The massive thing that came back from all the expertise (survey result) is the expertise gap, that capability gat in the PNG rugby league system. Education and training are significant part of this HPSP so there are coach education programs for match referee, officials, trainers’ strength condition and coaches’ physiotherapist,” Mr. Portus said.
He said HPSP will start with building female elite system and pathways from 2023 -2024, followed by capacity building and preparations for the 2025 world cup and provide mentorship for future PNG leaders in the game.
The end of HPSM is to see commercialize and growth in both female and male elite athlete pathways and to provide breathing room for more HP leadership in the code.
