Papua New Guinea coached rugby league team Manila Storms based in the Philippines is ready for its first challenge.
Manila Storms is coached by a Papua New Guinea national living in the Philippines 27 year old, Timothy Buipe.
Buipe has been playing rugby league since high school here in PNG and went to the Philippines for studies and enrolled at Adamson University in 2013 to study Customs Administration.
Due to a financial setback with sponsors he withdrew from studies and started a small computer shop at Pasay City.
Storms will play its first match against a Hong Kong resident team on 7 November at Southern Plains Alabang.
The team is a diverse crew of local Filipino rugby union players complemented by basketball, football, martial arts, tennis and track and field athletes who have a passion for rugby league.
Buipe said the team is looking forward to the game as this will be their first rugby league game and international clubs match.
Buipe invites Papua New Guineans in the area to go along to Southern Plains Alabang to support a pioneering group of new Filipino rugby league heroes.
Buipe is also playing in the team and encourages other Papua New Guineans living in the Philippines to join the team as he brings rugby league development to the country.