Developing QLD’s future Kumuls, today
Legend:
- Core Skills
- Fitness
- Cohesion
- Mentoring
QLD PNG Rugby League Inc. grew from interest within the Pacific Islands Rugby League community consisting of New Zealand Maori, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands, Tokelau and Papua New Guinea. All were looking to develop their teams, combined in friendly challenges with teams formed from members with bloodline ties within the respective residential Island state community in Queensland.
The inaugural challenge in 2009, has now evolved into a serious annual fixture scheduled after the QRL and NRL seasons, usually from August to October, to allow contracted players to fulfil commitments with their respective clubs.
Formerly known as the Oceanic Challenge , the concept is now widely known as the Queensland Pacific Island Cultural Carnival (QPICC) .QPICC provides the Pacific community an avenue for many, who are not aligned or contracted in the big league, opportunities at the QRL or NRL level.
Our Mission
- To provide a pathway for young men and women residing in Queensland with Papua New Guinea (PNG) heritage whose parent/s or grandparent/s is of PNG origin; or having been born in PNG; or being a citizen of PNG, with an opportunity to participate in the Rugby League Football Code.
- To foster cultural awareness, encourage and support our youth in the traditional values of respect and faith in family and community and provide guidance in their pursuit of personal goals to become role models within the community.
Our Vision
Rugby League has and will continue to maintain the monopoly as the number one football code in Papua New Guinea. With the numerous and growing residents of Papua New Guineans in Queensland, it is the aim of the QLD PNG Rugby League Inc. to capture, develop and nurture these undiscovered talent in the code and instil trust, confidence, self esteem and motivation to encounter challenges throughout their personal growth.
Our Arena
The Indigenous & Oceania Rim Cup commenced in 2009 where junior players of different cultural backgrounds from across the state gathered to play for their country of heritage in a unique tournament.
Eight Nations congregates on a yearly basis to participate in a Rugby Football League challenge. Celebrating the rich cultural diversity the Indigenous and Oceania Cup features an Indigenous Australian, Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands, Fiji, Maori, Papua New Guinea and Tokelau teams.
All players competing are from Queensland and are current registered players under the Queensland Rugby League (QRL) eligible to play for their country of heritage.
The IORSC have engaged Rugby League as an important vehicle to build and enhance stronger cultural awareness and relationships in the wider community to address health, education and training through sport.
This tournament is supported by, and adheres to the QRL and NRL guidelines rules and regulations governing the Rugby Football League code.
Our Participation
In 2012 the Qld PNG Rugby League participated in the Indigenous & Oceania Rim matches against the Fijians, Maori and the annual challenge. We also played the visiting PNG Schoolboys team arranged by Brad Tassell, CEO of PNG National Rugby League.
It is our group’s desire that the PNG Schoolboys team challenge against the Qld PNGRL Juniors will eventually become an annual event to provide an opportunity for our emerging players to be exposed and introduced to their roots back in PNG through return visitation challenges in Port Moresby.
