By Francis Rodney Pulu, The National
TWENTY-six players will be making their debut in the Pukpuks Under-20 rugby squad that leave tomorrow for the Oceania Youth Trophy in Fiji from November 27 to December 5.
Only four countries are taking part in the
inaugural event and a 30-man Pukpuks train-on squad are currently in training
in Port Moresby before the team will be trimmed down to the final 26 after the
players are put through their medical checks today.
Assistant coach Sydney Wesley said the
players would use the championship to qualify for the World Junior Trophy in
Portugal next year and the only two teams that the team had to overcome in
order to qualify were the tier-two nations, Fiji and Tonga.
“It will be tough playing against Fiji and
Tonga, who dropped from the first-tier based on their performance at the
previous World Junior Championships,” Wesley said.
