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.
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| Photo courtesy of the PNGRFL |
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.
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2014 OTML Tabubil Cats Schoolboys team at the Scots College
Schoolboys Rugby Sevens Tournament. Photo by J. Schulze
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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.
