PNG NRL Bid Official, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. 1,619 likes · 96 talking about this. The Official Account for the PNG NRL Bid
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MEDIA RELEASE (19 November 2024):
Papua New Guinea NRL Bid Academy to deliver a bigger and better program in 2025
Another major step in the development of rugby league in Papua New Guinea has taken place with the 2025 NRL Bid Academy having started with an enhanced program in all areas.
Last year’s Academy program saw some extremely positive results as part of an overall strengthening of the pathways structure in preparation for entering the National Rugby League competition.
That improvement was highlighted to a world audience in October when the Junior Kumuls took on the Australian Schoolboys team and came within minutes of a famous victory, before a last minute try to the visitors resulted in a 22-22 draw.
The program has already achieved some amazing results in many areas that have included:
- 720 male and female players receiving coaching through an 18-week program that makes it the amongst the largest club Academy programs in the NRL
- Staff delivering high level coaching across six regions throughout the country (Central, Goroka, Lae, Mt Hagen, NCD and NGI)
- The creation of a new data analysis system that allows players’ skills and fitness to be compared to equivalent players in Australia
- A vital link with schools created that has seen the delivery of the first ever NRL Bid Academy tournament that was broadcast live by Digicel PNG for the first time, with 16 matches being shown live on TVWAN3 over two days
- A new focus on creating a more strategic approach to the importance of education with Academy players being required to meet strict attendance levels at schools to be eligible to take part in Academy programs
The 2025 Academy will see the introduction of a program that will create a number of exciting new initiatives that will include:
- U15 male, U17 male and U18 female players taking part in a bigger NRL Bid Academy tournament with the U19 boys to play in a new PNGRFL tournament
- Twice the number of staff employed compared to last season, including an increase in the number of female staff from 8 per cent to 25 per cent
- Women now represented in the major Academy roles of Head Coach, Assistant Coach, Team Manager and Trainer for the first time
- The introduction of a new player welfare program that will deliver player education sessions in finance, wellbeing and diet and nutrition
- The creation of the first ever three-day Coaches’ Conference that saw coaches from throughout the country brought together to build a national coaching program that would create a consistent approach throughout the regions
PNG NRL Bid Chief Executive, Andrew Hill, saw the major developments at Academy level as another vital step towards creating a pathways system that would prepare the next generation of PNG players for the NRL.
“We have said from the start that the key part of developing our players into the future would be the establishment of a pathways system that would be as good as any in the world.
“There is an incredible amount of young talent in the country at both a male and female level and we have looked to adopt a strategy that would create a consistent national approach to coaching and player development.
“The most crucial part of that approach was to link our schools and Academy together.
“With the introduction of an even bigger NRL Bid Academy Schools tournament this season and major upgrades within our Academy program, we believe that we can look to the future with confidence.
“You only have to look at the way our Junior Kumuls were able to match it with the Australian Schoolboys to see the effect the pathways program has already had, and we are incredibly excited about what the future holds.”
