PNG NRL Academy Trains Teachers to Build Future Rugby League Stars
In a major step towards Papua New Guinea having a team in the NRL, the PNG NRL Academy has partnered with the PNG Rugby Football League (PNGRFL) to deliver a groundbreaking two-day coaching course for teachers across six regions.
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| PNG NRL Academy Trains Teachers to Build Future Rugby League Stars |
Hundreds of teachers in PNG are undertaking formal training as rugby league coaches for the first time, through the Australian-funded PNG NRL Academy program. The course combines classroom theory with hands-on practical sessions and follows the level 1 coaching curriculum used in elite rugby league systems in Australia.
With school competitions increasingly serving as a pathway for talent identification in both male and female players, the program aims to equip teachers with the skills to nurture the next generation of rugby league stars.
The course is led by PNG NRL Academy Coaching and Pathways Manager Joe Grima, supported by three experienced pathways coaches from Australia and PNGRFL Coaching Manager Stanley Gene. This week, over sixty teachers and school team coaches from 24 schools participated in the Goroka course, while another 60 attended in Mount Hagen.
Grima said the course focused on the fundamentals of coaching, including what to coach, who to coach, and techniques that have proven successful in Australia. “The energy of our participants in Goroka has been excellent, and it has been a pleasure to be here,” he said.
Jennifer Dalepa, a school girls’ rugby league coach from Kainantu Technical Secondary School, praised the course for emphasizing basic skills. “Simple skills like ball grip, catch and pass – these are things that we currently ignore, but those are the mistakes that are made on the field. It’s good to learn that these basic skills build up a player,” she said.
Participating schools receive a set of jerseys, and in line with the PNG NRL Academy’s goal to train more female teachers as rugby league coaches, schools that nominate a female teacher receive additional equipment. The first courses were held in July in Lae and Rabaul, attracting around 100 teachers from 50 schools. The final courses are scheduled for October in Central and the National Capital District.
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