The dates for the inaugural National Schools Rugby League (NSRL) Championship have been announced, with a National Champion to be decided this September.
Schools Rugby League was only formally introduced into Papua New Guinea in 2017, with the new National Championship designed to help improve the pathways for junior participants in the country by building on the various local competitions established around the country.
The 2021 competition will feature four age divisions, Under 14 Boys, Under 16 Boys, Under 18 Boys and Under 18 Girls, with each region set to run their respective local competitions from now until July 31, before the Provincial Championship takes place in August.
Winners from the Confederate Championship will run from late August to early September, with New Guinea Islands (NGI) going first on August 28-29, before Northern on September 4-5, Highlands on September 11-12 and Southern on September 17-18.
The National Championship will feature the best teams from each of the four Confederate competitions and run from September 20-26.
The format of the National Schools Championship is based on the National Club Championship, and is designed to provide opportunities to players from all parts of the country to take part in a National competition. It is a shift from the previous National Schools competition which featured only representative teams from each Confederate.
