Young Achievers tour Papua New Guinea
NYNGAN coach Col Wright and a group of dedicated colleagues flew to Port Moresby with a group of rugby league Young Achievers last weekend.
Col, Matthew Thompson (Manager), Merv Fulwood (First Aid officer) and Ken Fisher (Trainer) were joined for the first time by CSU journalism student, Lachlan Harper, who will record the journey on social media.
“Young players who have travelled with us in the past have returned better footballers, more informed about the world around them, and have become more involved in their own communities,” Col said before stepping onto the flight to Sydney.
The Young Achievers had a layover in Port Moresby on Saturday before flying to Popondetta, the capital of Oro (Northern) Province in PNG.
“Each year we try to expand the players’ horizons and expose them to both culture and history. Popondetta was the focus of relief efforts after Mount Lamington erupted and killed 4000 people in 1951. It is Buna on the Northern Papua coast, not far from the beginning of the Kokoda Track, so these young people will travel to the cemetery and museum that has been created in memory of our forebears,” Col said proudly.
Incidentally, the area is home to the endangered Queen Alexandra's birdwing, the world's largest butterfly, so it should enhance their botanical knowledge when they return to school!
If you’d like to follow the tour, check out the team’s progress on the NSW Young Achievers’ Tour page on Facebook which includes the following from the Northern League Grand Finals.
“Jerseys donated by Dubbo CYMS, Wentworthville Magpies, Bathurst Panthers, Bankstown Sports Junior Rugby League, Orange Cyms, West Maitland and Maitland & District JRLS were given to the Popondetta Bulldogs during their Under-20s and A-grade Grand Finals. In pouring rain, the Bulldogs played both grades with the same jerseys,” Lachlan wrote. Harry Allen (Coonamble), Joshua Belfanti (Meadow Flat), Mitchell Cleary (Coonamble), Jack Cole (Orange), Jackson Cox (Nyngan), Kaeden Dickson (Orange), Joshua Forgiuone (Coonamble), Hayden Hackney (Metford), Harry Heaney (Coonamble), Roy Herbert (Nyngan), Shannon Mackay (Billywillinga), Blake Merritt (Dubbo), Toby Miller (Nyngan), Riley Porter (Cobar), Sam Raumati (Grenfell), Jesse Shorter (Tichborne), Noah Strickland (Dubbo), Riley Wake (Trangie), Nathan Walker (Coonamble), Zac Williams (Dubbo)