Family of League honours trailblazing trio from Papua New Guinea

Two Papua New Guinea rugby league legends were recognised by the Tweed Gold Coast Family of League, with former internationals Dairi Kovae and Arnold Krewanty inducted as honorary members of the group.

The honour was part of a special visit by the pair, organised by Tweed Gold Coast Family of League president Steve Sim.

The visit provided an opportunity to acknowledge two players whose careers helped pave the way for generations of Papua New Guinean footballers.

They were the first two players from the country to play in NSW rugby league in the 1980s.

Family of League runs charity events, fundraisers and raffles to support former rugby league players and their families who have fallen on hard times.

The honorary memberships recognised not only the achievements on the field, but also for the broader contribution they have made to rugby league and their communities.

Papua New Guinea will officially join the NRL in 2029 and is expected to make an immediate impact in the competition.

“It was very timely with the PNG chiefs coming into the NRL in the next few years,” Sim said.

“Dairi and Arnold were their first major stars in the 1980s, they are rugby league pioneers and trailblazers for the country.”

The pair spent the week with Sim at Tweed Heads and also attended an NRL game in Newcastle, where they took part in the Knights Old Boys Day.

Kovae came from the sandy fields of Porebada in Central Province to play in the NSW rugby league with the North Sydney Bears and Newcastle Knights.

He represented PNG between 1986 and 1989 and was also selected for the Rest of the World against Australia in the 1988 Bicentennial Challenge.

Krewanty played two first-grade games for Newcastle in 1989 after beginning his football journey at Kila Kila High School in Port Moresby.

Following his playing career, he became a national selector for the Kumuls and later chairman of selectors, before working in game development and becoming the inaugural team manager of the PNG Hunters when they entered the Queensland Cup in 2014.

Bal Numapo, who died in 2020 aged 55, was another pioneering figure in PNG rugby league who was recognised by the Tweed Gold Coast group.

He played one first-grade game for Canterbury, represented the Kumuls 14 times and captained PNG in eight Tests.

He was also selected for the Rest of the World against Great Britain in 1988.