Rugby union in Papua New Guinea
Encyclopedia
Papua New Guinea
is a tier three rugby union
playing nation. They began playing international rugby union in 1966 and have yet to make the Rugby World Cup
. Teams from Papua New Guinea have competed in the Commonwealth games
.
Although Papua New Guinea has a rugby union tradition, rugby league
is far more popular and is the national sport
. Despite this, there are 8520 registered players of rugby union and 57 clubs. There are no registered senior female players.
The national side is ranked 52nd in the world (as of 9 February 2009).
Due to its close relationship with Queensland
in Australia
, rugby league
is very strong in the country, and the other code also tried aggressive expansion there in the 80s and 90s. However, the professionalisation of rugby union, and a major fightback by RU (particularly the Australian Rugby Union
) in PNG has paid off.
Former Grand Slam Wallaby
Brendan Moon
lives on the island, and has been helping the development for a number of years.
As with many of the of Pacific Nations, PNG has tended to do best at rugby sevens
, and has a strong national sevens team
.
is nicknamed the "Puk-Puks", from the Tok Pisin
word for "crocodiles". They have not qualified for a Rugby World Cup
yet.
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
is a tier three rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
playing nation. They began playing international rugby union in 1966 and have yet to make the Rugby World Cup
Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....
. Teams from Papua New Guinea have competed in the Commonwealth games
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
.
Although Papua New Guinea has a rugby union tradition, rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
is far more popular and is the national sport
National sport
A national sport or national pastime is a sport or game that is considered to be an intrinsic part of the culture of a nation. Some sports are de facto national sports, as baseball is in the U.S., while others are de jure as lacrosse and ice hockey are in Canada.-De jure national sports:-De facto...
. Despite this, there are 8520 registered players of rugby union and 57 clubs. There are no registered senior female players.
The national side is ranked 52nd in the world (as of 9 February 2009).
History
Rugby is long established in PNG, and tends to fall under the Australian sphere of influence. The game has been played as a folk sport in many regions, and the country's general lack of infrastructure has hindered its national development.Due to its close relationship with Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
is very strong in the country, and the other code also tried aggressive expansion there in the 80s and 90s. However, the professionalisation of rugby union, and a major fightback by RU (particularly the Australian Rugby Union
Australian Rugby Union
The Australian Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Australia. It was founded in 1949 and is a member of the International Rugby Board the sport's governing body. It consists of eight member unions, representing each state and territory...
) in PNG has paid off.
Former Grand Slam Wallaby
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
Brendan Moon
Brendan Moon
Brendan Moon is a former Australian Rugby Union winger who played for the Queensland Reds in the late 70s and early 80s. Moon played 100 games for Queensland and also played in the premiership winning Brothers Old Boys team of 1978, 1980–1983, Brendan also represented Australia in 35 tests and was...
lives on the island, and has been helping the development for a number of years.
As with many of the of Pacific Nations, PNG has tended to do best at rugby sevens
Rugby sevens
Rugby sevens, also known as seven-a-side or VIIs, is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players, instead of the usual 15, with shorter matches. Rugby sevens is administered by the International Rugby Board , the body responsible for rugby union worldwide...
, and has a strong national sevens team
Papua New Guinea national rugby union team
The Papua New Guinea national rugby union team represent Papua New Guinea in the sport of rugby union. Nicknamed the Pukpuks, , they played their first international in 1966, defeating Vanuatu 47-3. Papua New Guinea have not so far qualified for a Rugby World Cup...
.
National team
The Papua New Guinea national rugby union teamPapua New Guinea national rugby union team
The Papua New Guinea national rugby union team represent Papua New Guinea in the sport of rugby union. Nicknamed the Pukpuks, , they played their first international in 1966, defeating Vanuatu 47-3. Papua New Guinea have not so far qualified for a Rugby World Cup...
is nicknamed the "Puk-Puks", from the Tok Pisin
Tok Pisin
Tok Pisin is a creole spoken throughout Papua New Guinea. It is an official language of Papua New Guinea and the most widely used language in that country...
word for "crocodiles". They have not qualified for a Rugby World Cup
Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....
yet.
See also
- Papua New Guinea national rugby union team (sevens)Papua New Guinea national rugby union team (sevens)The Papua New Guinea national rugby union team represent Papua New Guinea in rugby sevens. The team competes in the IRB World Sevens Series and in regional competitions that feed into the series...
- Papua New Guinea Rugby Football Union
- Sport in Papua New GuineaSport in Papua New GuineaSport is an important part of the national culture. Rugby League is the most popular Sport in Papua New Guinea.Other popular Sports include most Football codes , Cricket, Volleyball, Softball, Netball and Basketball...