The Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League (PNGRFL) has announced the first ever Women’s Competition called ‘Santos Cup’ today (Thursday July 25th, 2024), at Santos National Football Stadium in Port Moresby.
It will be a six-team competition vying across seven weeks for the inaugural premiership trophy. The six franchises that will participate in the Santos Cup are Central Dabaris, East New Britain Gurias, Goroka Lahanis, Lae Tigers, Mount Hagen Eagles, and Port Moresby Vipers.
The PNGRFL, in partnership with Santos, PacificAus Sports, and Kumul Mineral Holdings Limited are fully backing the women’s competition, giving an opportunity to the talented female players to showcase their skills and entertain fans.
PNGRFL Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Stanley Hondina, expressed satisfaction and thanked the sponsors while emphasizing on what the competition would bring about, in terms of inclusivity and empowering the female players.
“This is a proud and historic day for rugby league in this country. It is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the talent of our female players in a high-performance environment. It demonstrates the opening of our pathway to be more inclusive of females in the game,” CEO Hondina stressed.
“Creating a new competition wouldn’t be possible without the support of our wonderful partners. Santos is our long-term corporate friend and is deeply committed to the women’s game. In this partnership, the business is extending its support of rugby league beyond the Santos PNG Orchids to become the naming rights sponsor of this inaugural competition, the Santos Cup.
“The commitment of PacificAus Sports to the growth of our women’s game in this country is unwavering. We should be so excited to use rugby league as a vehicle to empower our women in this country and to recognize their contribution to the sport.”
Santos Country (PNG) Chair, Leon Buskens, echoed similar sentiments made by CEO Hondina and gave the company’s commitment in continuing to support not just the Digicel-ExxonMobil Cup, PNG Kumuls, and PNG Orchids, but backing the women’s newly established competition as well.
“Equal opportunities for women continues to be a priority for us at Santos and we are extremely proud to be an ongoing sponsor of women’s rugby league in PNG. The Santos Cup is a further testament of our commitment towards empowering women and girls,” Mr. Buskens remarked
“Through sports and rugby league, we are influencing mindsets and providing a great platform for our women and girls to achieve their dreams and to be heard and seen as a positive and powerful force in society.
“This was clearly demonstrated by the National women’s rugby league, the Santos PNG Orchids, who finished just one game away from the last Rugby League World Cup in 2022.
“The Santos Cup, the first ever Women’s Rugby League Competition in PNG, will provide more opportunities for our women and girls to excel in the sport and beyond. This is a significant step for us as a country and at Santos, this goes to our values and building a better future for PNG.”
The 2024 season is set to kick off on Saturday, August 3rd, with the games to be played in Port Moresby, Goroka, Kokopo, Lae, and Minj. The women’s grand final will coincide with the Digicel-ExxonMobil Cup’s decider on September 15th.
PC: Supplied
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