First international rugby league players for Solomon Islands

The Solomon Islands rugby league players who participated in the concluded Pacific Games nines competition will have their names printed into the country’s history book as the first players to represent the country in the code of rugby league.

“First time ever, history for our country,” says Solomon Islands captain …..

It is the number one time, for the newly established Solomon Islands Rugby Football League (SIRFL) to play in an international sanctioned match.

“We (SIRFL) started a competition in 2013 and it’s only the beginning, one of the boxes has been ticked,” SIRFL chairman Beaver Biti told Loop PNG after their final match.   

He added that, the experience will have a “big impact on the development of the code back home.”    

The Solomon Islanders did not win any match in the nines competition  but did showed some flare with their hard hit ups, tackles and speed as many of them were rugby union converts.

“It’s an experience for us…and happy to compete with big guys (PNG, Fiji, Samoa and Tonga),” said Robert Dofe, SIRFL Pacific Games team manager.

It is not the final and last time, as “our wantoks” across the Solomon Sea aim to bounce back from their humiliating defeats and gain some respect in their next international match.

“Will come back again, we will win a match next time,” says Dofe.

The national sport for Solomon Island is soccer. 

Author: 
Charles Yapumi