OTML Tabubil Cats Schoolboys win Plate at Scots College 7s

The young cubs of Tabubil – the Ok Tedi Mining Limited Tabubil Cats Schoolboys Rugby Team successfully returned from Sydney on Monday 1st April after winning the Plate Final in the Scots College Schoolboy Rugby Sevens tournament held in Sydney, Australia during the Easter weekend on 30th March.

The OTML Schoolboys defeated Sydney’s Cranbrook School 38-5 in what was an entertaining and hard-fought final.

The 2013 Plate (OTML Schoolboys) and Cup (Lloyd McDermott) winners.

From a field of twelve quality school teams, the OTML Schoolboys were pitted in Pool D against St. Stanislaus College and the tournament hosts, Scots College. There was much anticipation in the air about the unknown qualities of the boys from the Star Mountains of Tabubil.

To everyone’s delight, the OTML Schoolboys got off to a great start by winning their opening game against St. Stanislaus College 17-5. This set the stage for a mouth-watering final pool game against Scots College which the boys lost narrowly 19-29.

Taking on Stanislaus subsequently winning the game 17-5 (Photo by J. Schulze)

The boys’ performance in that game had the Scots faithful nervous however brought on praise as well. This ensured the OTML Schoolboys a top two finish and automatic qualification for one of two Cup quarter-finals against last year’s winners, Lloyd McDermott Development Side.

The indigenous boys got off to a solid start and despite the OTML Schoolboys late resurgence in the second half, they lost 19-38. This now ensured another tough assignment in the Plate semi-final against Palmerston North Boys of New Zealand. Boasting a great rugby culture and producing players of Super 15 calibre by the bucket load, the NZ team were favourites to walk over the PNG boys.

However, the OTML Schoolboys dug deep and opened a handy 12-0 nil lead at the break and despite the NZ boys late surge, the PNG boys held on for a great 15-12 win. In the Plate final against Cranbrook School, the OTML boys turned on the flair and duly entertained the big crowd by comfortably winning 38-5.


"Their achievement was nothing short of brilliant," said Anthony Aruha, president/coach.

"Quietly, we knew we had planned well and put in the hard work over the last 8 months. The boys are all talented and to see them rise up to the technical standards and expectations that we had set them, we knew we could be compete."


The schoolboys team, after their win, with OTML MD/CEO Nigel Parker
and wife, Pakii - Photo by J. Schulze

"To have our major sponsor, OTML CEO & MD, Nigel Parker and family on hand to support the boys was special and the boys could only show their appreciation with tears of joy after the fulltime siren."

It was also a special moment for the boys to receive their medallions and silverware from ARU CEO Bill Pulver and the boys returned the gesture in kind by presenting Pulver with a PNG Bilum.

The 11-man touring party was made up of dependent children of OTML and most of its contractor employees, including locals from the mine villages. Nine boys attend Tabubil Secondary School while two of the boys attend Nudgee College in Brisbane.

The one-day Scots College rugby tournament is an annual event organised by the host school – the Scots College in Sydney. The tournament is now into its fourth year, attracting top rugby school teams from QLD, ACT, WA, NSW, New Zealand and now PNG.

Tabubil Rugby spent the last six months fundraising and securing company sponsorships from various supportive business houses in Tabubil, PNG and Australia to ensure that the tours were made possible.

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Mr. Aruha acknowledged the invaluable support given by OTML as major sponsor and all associated sponsors; Downer EDI Mining, Tabubil Golf Club, Fubilan Catering Services Star Mountain Clothing, TKI Manpower, JTA International, Pacific MMI Insurance, Gazebo Club, Hastings Deering, TE Hardware, Asia Pacific Airlines, Kana Kumgit, Collins Shipping.

He also acknowledged the overwhelming and exceptional support given by the Tabubil community as well as the endorsement of their tour by the various rugby governing bodies; New South Wales Rugby Union (NSWRU), Australian Rugby Union (ARU) and the Papua New Guinea Rugby Football Union (PNGRFU).

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The successful schoolboys team was as follows: Shane Haro (Captain), Ezekiel Toma (Vice Captain), Sauto Yokim, Karl Wanjiman, Issachar Kara, Gino Steven, David Iveho, Salaiau Manoi, Jefferson Francis, Jim Gissua, Shane Auakai, Anthony Aruha (Coach),Vuvu Ruing (Assistant Coach), Kelly Kesawe (Team Manager), and Philip Kautete (Liaison Officer).

The form line for the OTML Schoolboys was good as the two teams which they lost to eventually contested the Cup final with Lloyd McDermott winning for the second year running over Scots College. The OTML Schoolboys have drawn out a lot of belief and confidence in themselves out of this performance and are already looking ahead to doing one better in 2014.

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