The East Sepik Rugby League (ESRL) has taken a major step towards rebuilding rugby league in the province after swearing in new board members in Port Moresby today.
The swearing-in ceremony marked an important milestone in restoring confidence, accountability, and proper administration of rugby league in East Sepik Province. The new leadership is expected to strengthen development pathways for young players across the region, including those participating in the Sepik Rugby League competitions, schoolboys’ league, and junior divisions.
Former Maprik MP and prominent businessman John Simon has been appointed as Chairman of the East Sepik Rugby League Board. He will be supported by Moses Warie as Vice Chairman and Solomon Reynolds as Board Secretary.
The ceremony was officiated by legal counsel Martin Ginyaru, where the three board members formally recited their oath of service, committing themselves to the development and administration of rugby league in East Sepik.
Following the ceremony, newly appointed Chairman John Simon thanked the technical team working on the ground for facilitating the appointments. He emphasized that his role as chairman is voluntary and driven by his commitment to youth empowerment and the revival of rugby league in the province.
Simon said the ultimate goal is to bring back the Sepik Pride team into Papua New Guinea’s premier rugby league competition, the Digicel–ExxonMobil Cup.
He explained that although there had been interest and backing from sponsors in the past, Sepik Pride was previously sidelined from participating in the national competition due to unmet prerequisites. One of the key issues was the absence of a properly established provincial rugby league board to oversee development pathways and manage affiliated leagues.
Chairman Simon said the new board will now work tirelessly to rebuild the structures required for a successful bid into the national competition. Additional board members are expected to be sworn in within East Sepik next week to strengthen the administration.
“We have all the prerequisites and requirements in progress, including pathway development programs, league affiliations, a home ground to host matches, an annual off-season nines competition, and now a fully functioning provincial rugby league board,” Simon said.
“These structures will administer rugby league affairs across the greater Sepik region, helping develop our local talents and exporting them onto the national stage.”
He added that once these requirements are fully established, the board will submit a bid to enter the Digicel–ExxonMobil Cup competition.
“If we are rejected, we will keep trying again and again until Sepik Pride is back in the competition,” he said.
Simon further stated that rugby league in East Sepik will continue progressing steadily as the province embarks on what he described as the “Return of the Northsmen” to the national rugby league stage.
The new board hopes that the revival of strong governance and grassroots development will once again position East Sepik as a competitive force in Papua New Guinea’s rugby league landscape.