Tribes Coffee Seagulls Club from Kaugere in the Port Moresby South Electorate are into their third week of training in preparation for the upcoming JT 9s rugby league tournament in February.
The Seagulls were last year's Cup runners-up for the JT Super 9s tournament, losing to the South City Rams in the decider with a 4-16 defeat.
Currently, the boys from Kaugere are under the watchful eyes of head trainer and one of the big-name rugby league 9s players in Port Moresby Douglas Pirika, who also plays for the Central Dabaris. Pirika is giving back to his community team what he learned in the Digicel Cup. Assisting Pirika in training is Junior Kumuls and Gulf Isou’s Ismael Vaiake. Vaiake is also helping out with game techniques he learned while in the Junior Kumuls and Digicel Cup.
The Seagulls is one of the pioneer rugby league clubs in Port Moresby South. The club was established during the South Settlement off-season days and has produced some of the household rugby league players in the Digicel Cup - such as Douglas Pirika and elder brother Samson Pirika, Agiru John Ako, Ismael Vaiake, Gege Pasa - including former rugby league greats like Koivi Pirika, Amos Mirisa, as well as the former PNG Kumuls half-back, Vicky Moses.
The club also has the services of former Hunters players who once wore the Seagulls Jersey in the likes of Lawrence Tu’u and Shane Haro. Haro was one of the instrumental players in the JT 9s campaign last year.
Speaking on behalf of the team, Pastor Jack Walter, who is also one of the veteran players of the club states:
“The club was formed during the Erama League days and South Settlement off-season days by our fathers and grandfathers from the Kaugere community. We entered the Moresby South Rugby Football League in 2015 and have participated in every JT 9s tournament since.
“This time around, the club is made up of youths below the age of 25 years old. Rugby league is a tool that keeps young men in our community out of trouble and social issues.”
With K50,000 cash prize up for grabs and the JT Cup on offer, this year’s tournament will be tougher than the previous JT 9s tournaments. The boys from Kaugere are hungrier and optimistic about making their second appearance in the finals, with the aim and goal of winning the Cup.
PC: Tagali Hillside Photography
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