This Sunday will be one of contrasts for the high
profile Broncos coach, Wayne Bennett, and his lesser known brother, Bob, who is the coach of the PNG
National Team, the Kumuls.

While the Broncos season goes on the line against the
enthusiastic Wests Tigers at Aussie Stadium, the Kumuls will take on an Australian Prime Minister’s XIII at
Lloyd Robson Oval in Port
Moresby. And without devaluing the importance of the Broncos vs Tigers
match, the Kumuls vs PM’s XIII may well mark the
beginning of a new era in Australia’s relationship with its closest neighbour,
Papua New Guinea – and a significant event in the history of rugby
league.

The match is being sponsored by AusAID, the Australian Government’s
overseas aid agency. The Australian team, to be captained by the
retiring Roosters captain, Luke Ricketson, will be spending its five
days in PNG not only playing rugby league, but helping to promote safe
sex and healthy lifestyles as PNG faces up to what may be its
greatest crisis – the rapidly rising incidence of HIV/AIDS.

Rugby league
is the unquestioned national sport of PNG. And Australian rugby league players
are household names in urban and rural Papua New
Guinea alike. And there is no greater idol than the PM’s XIII coach,
Mal Meninga – and his assistant, Brad Fittler, is not far behind him.

Bob Bennett and the PNG Rugby League, under its new
President, Sir Robert Sinclair, are re-building the game which has sadly gone
backwards in recent years – more due to bad administration than anything
else. And the re-building phase will also be used to help the
PNG Government, with AusAID support, try to reduce
the alarming escalation in HIV/AIDS and strengthen community harmony.

The Australian Government, with the strong backing of
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer and the Shadow Minister for Pacific Island
Affairs, Bob Sercombe, and with the total support of the Somare Government, is currently considering a proposal to
use rugby league to help get the right messages to the five million people of
PNG about safe sex practices, healthy living, sport, and community pride.

The full story in on the website here.

Jeff Wall is a consultant to the PNG Foreign Affairs
Minister, Sir Rabbie Namaliu.