League among the swaying palms

Press, 21 April 1984, Page 26

League among the swaying palms

What will surely be the most exotic of all rugby league tournaments has been planned for an appropriately unlikely venue, Hawaii, later this year. Club teams from the established nations, Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, have been invited to compete in the inaugural Steinlager Pacific Cup contest in late October and early November. They are likely to be confronted by sides from some of the code’s outposts — Rarotonga, Norfolk Island and the United States — and there is a possibility of entries from professional or amateur clubs in Britain and France. A Golden Oldies touch tournament for players of at least 35 years of age is to be held in conjunction with the 13-a-side tournament. That, too, will be an innovation for rugby league. Official approval for the tournament has been given

by the national administrations of Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. It also has the backing of the New Zealand national director of coaching, Graham Lowe, who regards the Pacific Cup as a means of expanding the popularity of the sport in the Pacific region. The New Zealand organisers, Travelseekers International, have already had notification that two tournament teams would be included in a group of 50 people from Papua New Guinea. Mr Lowe also noted considerable interest during a recent trip to Australia. Those who still look upon rugby league as having a cloth cap image would probably be aghast at the thought of Rarotongans and Norfolk Islanders playing the game among the palm trees of Kapiolani Park.

JOHN COFFEY