Papua New
Guinea Rugby Football League appoint new CEO

Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League (PNGRFL) Board has appointed former Rabaul Guria coach Jeff Wade as its new chief executive officer under its Australian Rugby League-funded structure and recommendations.

The interim chairman of PNGRFL Board Sir Bob Sinclair confirmed that Wade was appointed as new CEO on a K250,000 employment package along with four Regional Development officers - Alf Davies (Southern), Steve Malum (Momase), Alois ToBata (NGI) and Joe Tokam (Highlands).

Sir Bob said there will be a meeting of four regional development officers and the new CEO on Feb 5 to plan activities for the 2005 season.

Wade is contracted with International Education Agency (IEA) in Lae and will take up the CEO position when his work permit is in order.

Wade said yesterday he was very happy to get the two-year contract job with the national rugby league office in Lae.

Wade said the appointment of regional officers was big step in development of the game in the country.

He said their main responsibilities were to assist the leagues in their respective zone to run their competition and help them to affiliate to PNGRFL.

The regional officers will also have to assist PNGRFL conduct coaching and referees clinics in their respective zones.

Wade said the resurrection of the dormant Inter-City Cup and the appointments of regional officers were part and parcel of the recommendations made by Peter Bevan of Australia.

With involvement of local leagues, PNGRFL should the reintroduction of schoolboys? league in the country.

Port Moresby is the only centre with such a competition, and plans are in place to revive this competition in Lae, Goroka and Rabaul. If other centres want to start their competition, Wade said, the PNGRFL will assist them.

Wade said the major incentive for schoolboys? league would be the trip to Moscow, Russia in September this year.

?This is a major incentive for affiliated centres to start their schoolboys competition,? Wade said.

Apart from the Moscow trip, schoolboys will also get major assistance package from Australia Rugby League in terms of coaching and refereeing.

It is hope that PNGRFL will have ARL special coaches and referees in PNG during schools Term One holidays before the competition start in Term Two.

Sir Bob said he was asked by Australia Rugby League to do everything possible to get an Under 16 team to Moscow, Russia, for the World Cup tournament.

?Basically we will start from the scratch by starting the competition. Australia will subsidies the internal expense which include transport and the accommodation, while PNGRFL was asked to find a sponsor to fly the team half way across the world to Russia,? Sir Bob said.