Orchids searching for new coach to drive 2021 World Cup campaign

The Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League are looking for a full-time coach to guide the women's national team through to the 2021 World Cup.

It's a pivotal time for women's rugby league in the country. The Orchids are ranked fourth in the world, following their historic test-match win over Engand last year. While more recently, Orchids captain Elsie Albert achieved her dream of making an NRL women's team when she made her debut for the St George Illawarra Dragons last weekend.

PNGRFL Chairman, Sandis Tsaka, said they want to capitalise on the team's success.

"Appointing a full-time Orchids coach just like the men's is important for our development programmes in guiding the Orchids through to the World Cup," he said.

"That's part of the reason why the application has been spread out wide, to identify a good coach that can take us through to the World Cup."

A number of former PNG internationals have held the post in recent years. Former Kumul, David Westley, was appointed in 2018, before Nigel Hukula, who spent three years as an assistant coach with the PNG Hunters in the Intrust Super Cup, was assigned the position a year after.

However after their Pacific Test loss to Fiji Bulikula, Bagelo Solien took over as interim coach, leading them through the World Cup Nines and their first-ever test match win in 2019.

Tsaka said the turnover of coaches in the last few years has encouraged the board to consider a long-term contract.

"I'm not aware of how many people have applied yet, but the task is being undertaken by the board and a team of people so we expect them to go through and compile a short list."

"We're looking at a long term contract to build the women's programmes. The Orchids and the women's game in PNG is very important to our national game, so we are trying to give it the same kind of planning and programme that we give to the Kumuls."

"They're working with our HR consultant to go through all the applications, but the board expects a recommendation from that in a couple of weeks before we make a decision."

A new coach was to be appointed earlier this year but Tsaka said the global pandemic forced them to halt those plans.

The women's domestic competition also suffered because of Covid-19.

"We were hoping to appoint a permanent coach at the start of the year but with Covid-19 and the cancellations of programmes it stalled until the end of the year and plans leading up to the World Cup," Tsaka explained.

"Unfortunately because of Covid-19 most of our affiliate leagues that play throughout the country did not have the capacity to comply with the Covid-19 protocols, so we've had very few women's competitions starting up.

"That's part of the reason we're looking at the men's and women's coaching staff coming together, so we can get the high performance programmes going during the off season to ensure we have time over the next 12 months leading up to the World Cup."

Tsaka said a full-time coach is needed to boost the development of the women's game.

"Our girls are ranked fourth in the world so that in itself has provided an empathist for PNGRFL," he said.

"The women's game in PNG is probably the fastest growing segment of the game. What the team and Elsie has achieved and the opportunities that are opening for our girls playing... rugby league is huge so we will continue to invest in the pathways."

Applications for the position closed on Tuesday and an announcement of a new coach is expected to be made later this month.

The new women's coach is expected to have NRL level 2 coaching experience and familiarity working with an elite women's team.

Tsaka said it's a privilege they're not taking lightly.