User:POds/Sandbox/Rugby league in Papua New Guinea

Rugby League is a popular team sport played in Papua New Guinea, and indeed is generally regarded as the national sport.

History
The game was first introduced to Papua New Guinea by Australian soldiers stationed there during and after the Second World War. It spread quickly, and is now regarded as the country’s national sport.

Papua New Guinean rugby league has hampered by the poor infrastructure in the country, and national competitions have proven difficult to sustain. Violence at large games has also become something of a problem, and the major test nations have tended to be reluctant to tour Papua New Guinea due to safety concerns.

Nonetheless rugby league remains the dominant sport, and is played across the nation, with competitions in major cities and highland regions alike.

Papua New Guinea was represented by Port Moresby Vipers in the Queensland Cup competition in 1996 and 1997.

Governing body
The governing body for rugby league in Papua New Guinea, who are based in Port Moresby. They have been members of the Rugby League International Federation since 1974. The League has suffered financially due to member leagues not paying affiliation fees.

Competitions
The national competition is known as the SP Cup, and has been held since 1990. No competition was held in 2004 due to funding problems, but the competition returned for 2005. Teams are competing in a league format, with the top 5 clubs at the end of the rounds entering play-offs, culminating in a Grand Final.

Below the SP Cup exist many local and provincial, the most prestigous of which is the Port Moresby League.

Popularity
Rugby league is undoubtedly Papua New Guineas most popular sport. Outsiders are given the view that the game has an almost uncanny grip on its inhabitants, leading many to make links between the new Guineas tribal way of life and the almost tribal or primitive physical aspects required of rugby league players. It is so popular that it is often referred to the "national sport".

The annual Australian State of Origin matches are the most watched sporting event of the year. It is not uncommon for fights to break out on the results of an origin match or series. Ryan Pini, 2006 Commonwealth Games gold medallist for Papua new guinea used the SOO to describe just how jubilant his home country was over his achievement:
 * "I've actually heard stories from friends where the streets have just been roaring," a delighted Pini said. "State of Origin (rugby league) is a big thing up there and they said that this is something bigger than that apparently." –

The Australian government, a major giver of AID to PNG has identified rugby league and its celebrity players, who hold as much, if not more weight in PNG than Australia, as an ideal platform from which to launch initiatives to raise awareness amoung the people of PNG to the danger posed by HIV/AIDS[1]. However, the Howard government sees more than just an delivery platform for HIV/AIDs information for rugby league. Given PNG's population is highly fragmented with over 700 disparate cultural groups that test political and social unity, rugby league also serves as a means to unit the country behind one cause, their national team, the Kumlars.

Many Papuans have gone on to play professional rugby league either in the National Rugby League or Super League, including Marcus Bai who became a national celebrity after winning a premiership with the Melbourne Storm in the National Rugby League and going on to play in the Super League for the Leeds Rhinos and later the Bradford Bulls.

The national team
The Papua New Guinea national rugby league team are nicknamed Kumuls after the bird of paradise, a national symbol of the country. Their first ever test match was a 40-12 home defeat by Great Britain in 1975.

They compete in the Rugby League World Cup and first entered a team in the 1985-89 competition, though it was not until 1995 that they were able to win away from home.

Culture

 * references from a rugby league experience
 * reported incidences and rumuors of SOO experiences
 * Australian gov's promotion of aids through rugby league