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.