Haro's rugby dream

By Jayne Schulze

When a 22-year-old young man donned the SP Hunters jersey for the first time in Round 4 of the Intrust Super Cup against Easts Tigers at Langlands Park in Brisbane, a lifelong dream had been realised.

Photo courtesy of the PNGRFL 

For Shane Haro, Hunter number 74, who hails from the villages of Guga in the Milne Bay Province and Iokea in the Gulf Province, nothing could be more exhilarating and yet gratifying.

“It is a dream come true for me," Haro says.

From a young age, Haro had hoped that he would one day forge a successful rugby league career. Like most boys, he was inspired by Papua New Guinea's sporting heroes in the likes of Marcus Bai and Adrian Lam. He always knew that he was good at footy. He just knew that it would only be a matter of time before he would make his break onto a much bigger arena.

So it came as no surprise to many when Haro made the Hunters’ train-on squad in February this year. A leader on and off the field, Haro’s initiative and drive to further his rugby aspirations has fast-tracked his career thus far. The sheer determination and commitment shown by the kid from Sabama has made what was merely a dream become a reality. It was always on the cards that this young man would make it up the echelons to the premier rugby level. 

Born in Port Moresby, work commitments would move his family to the small mining township of Tabubil in the Western Province in 2008. Rain, hail or shine, Haro’s passion for rugby made him a permanent fixture every weekend at the TKI Manpower Rugby Oval. He was part and parcel of the rugby league fraternity in the town. 

Haro realised his potential when in 2013, he captained the winning team in the Under 16 Division in the Tabubil league competition.  Over the next few years, he had several successful seasons in the Senior Men’s Division with the Star Mountains Eagles Rugby League Club.

“We are extremely happy and excited for Shane and we are supporting him all the way,” an elated Kelly Kesawe, President of Tabubil Rugby Football League and Club mentor said recently.

Haro’s exceptional rugby skills established him as representative material.

2014 OTML Tabubil Cats Schoolboys team at the Scots College 

Schoolboys Rugby Sevens Tournament. Photo by J. Schulze

The talented youngster dabbled in rugby union too. In 2013, he captained the first OTML Tabubil Cats School Boys Rugby Union team that toured Sydney, winning the Plate Final of the Investec Scots College School Boys Rugby Sevens Tournament. The former Tabubil High School student lead the school boys a second time to Scots College in 2014 for yet another shot at the prestigious tournament hosted by Sydney's rich and famous. 

Haro’s coming-of-age was his selection into the Tabubil Cats rugby sevens team for the 2014 Port Sevens rugby tournament in Port Douglas. The Cats had sought to retain the Cup and unfortunately lost to eventual winners, Townsville-based Fijian team, Island Breeze.

Upon returning to Port Moresby in 2015, Haro signed up with local rugby league club, Gabutu Dragons. Shortly after his selection into the Southern Confederate Zone in Port Moresby in 2016, the Port Moresby Vipers enlisted Haro’s services as a centre in the 2018 Digicel Cup season. A few months later, Haro was an inclusion into the Hunters’ train-on squad as expected.

With the recent exodus of SP Hunters’ stars onto greener pastures overseas, the hugely successful PNG outfit has lost a bit of its sheen. The Hunters’ fan base is massive and therefore the current crop of new recruits have big shoes to fill. 

“I just want to play good rugby,” Haro says humbly.

Round 5 over the weekend saw Haro play his second ISC game with the Hunters against North Devils. Although the result was unfavourable, he believes that the team will gel together and be a formidable force this season.

This story is a typical Papua New Guinean boy's dream, one of determination and self-belief, beating all odds for the opportunity to play rugby league at the international level. Haro's story is testament that dreams can really come true.

Haro rises from Kaugere to Hunters

By The National Newspaper Sports Reporters

IT was in the mid-2000s when a young boy from the once known notorious Kaugere suburb spent most of his weekends on the sidelines of Kaugere Oval.

Shane Haro would carry his uncles’ boots on one hand and a bucket of sand on the other hand and watch his uncles play.

Whatever the weather, that boy was driven by rugby league and all his family and friends knew it.

Recalling those days, Haro, now 22, loved it, he was passionate about the sport and would look forward to every weekend, rugby league was a dream growing up, no doubt about that.

Today, the Gulf man is among the PNG Hunters 32-man train-on squad gearing up for the 2019 Queensland Cup season.

Challenges in Tabubil

By Rosalyn Albaniel, Post Courier

RUGBY Union is a code that is developing its roots in the mining township of Tabubil, Western Province.

And it is slowly making its mark, which for years has been dominated by rugby league.

It continues to be a big ask for the Tabubil Rugby Football Union Association (TRFU) president Kelly Kesawe and his executives which include Junior John Tomba (vice president), Heather Erwin (treasurer) and Israel Lingham (secretary)…but a task which they have taken head on.

Kesawe told visiting reporters over the weekend that the union tournaments, since the codes inception there, have been played during the league off-season and utilising interested players keen in maintaining their fitness levels.

Tabubil Cats do well in Goroka 7s

By David Kare, Sunday Chronicle

TABUBIL Rugby Football Union sent a very young rugby 7s team under the Tabubil 789 CATS to Goroka to attend the 2016 PNG SP Export Rugby 7s leg in Goroka “Tulait 7s” tournament.

The team comprised of 13 players and three officials.

According to TRFU president Kelly Kesawe the team lacked experience but lead by PNG Rugby 7s experience player Toby Yakumani Jr and captained by long time player Paul Marita the Cats were able to put a good performance.

Kesawe thanked Ok Tedi Mining Limited (OTML) deputy CEO Musje Werror for the approval to use the company charter plane, OTML donation committee for 50% of the travel, Star Mountain Clothing Factory, TE Hardware, Cloundlands Hotel and families and friends for their great assistant.

Bulls take out Pumas

By Grace Ryan, Nyngan Observer

A 29 to 18 defeat over Warren on Friday night showed the Bulls can take home a win night and day.

A strong Bulls team defeated the Pumas in style in Warren demonstrating some fantastic football at the same time.

It took the boys some warming up on the freezing cold Friday evening, but after a few plays and a giving away a couple of penalities, they seemed to find their stride.

Outside centre and team co-captain Dom Kennedy found the try line first for the Bulls and after a successful conversion by Matt Sheather morale for the home team instantly lifted.

Bulls continue winning streak

By The Nyngan Observer

The Bogan Bulls have continued their winning form with a third consecutive victory this time over the Brewarrina Brumbies at Larkin Oval last Saturday. 

In the days leading up to the game coach Rob Kennedy expressed concerns about being able to field a team due to the number of players on tractors for sowing season, so there were a lot of empty seats on the bench as the previously undefeated Brumbies took the field.

Both teams came to play, with a good half hour of back and forth arm wrestling before mountainous forward Ryan Sambath crossed the line for the first try of the game putting the Nyngan team ahead.

JCU prove party poopers at Machans Beach

By Sam Davis, The Northern Beaches News

JCU Mariners beat Barron Trinity Bulls in the first FNQ Rugby premier grade game at the Bulls’ new headquarters at Machans Beach on Saturday.

In front of a decent crowd at the ‘Bull Ring’ and without massive offseason recruit Kele Degei due to a knee injury, the Bulls put in a highly committed and gutsy performance before finally being overpowered 26-10.

The match was evenly poised in the 55th minute when Bulls’ reserve Dwayne Irvine crossed to reduce the Mariners advantage to 14-10.

But quick replies from Mariners fullback Rob Rodokal and livewire winger Joel Skyes sealed a well-earned 16 point win for the visitors.

Pukpuks finish third a Oceania Junior titles

By Quintina Naime, Loop PNG

The PNG U20 Pukpuks have finished third at the Oceania Junior Rugby Trophy Championships in Suva, Fiji.

They defeated Vanuatu today by a huge margin, scoring 13 tries in a final scoreline of 80-7.

Pukpuks’ first try was scored by Zion Reto eight minutes into the game. Another try came eight minutes later through Lindsey Yabone which took PNG up to 10-0 followed by the third try, by winger William Tirang 19 minutes into the game.