New Zealand

Previously engaged in selling clothing at the four-mile Market, Catherine's life took a turn in 2018 when she was selected for a six-month contract under the Recognized Seasonal Employer scheme in New Zealand.

In a statement released by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Justin Tkatchenko emphasized the deep-rooted cultural bonds and traditions shared between the two nations over the past 48 years.

He commended New Zealand's ongoing support across various sectors, including agriculture, rural electrification, trade, development, and educational initiatives such as scholarships and Foreign Service training.

High Commissioner Tameo said, “New Zealand is an important development partner. They are contributing in a lot of ways to the development of our country in areas such as education, agriculture, infrastructure, energy, defense and security, and of course they are involved in a lot of activities in Bougainville.”

The Lewas, led by newly appointed captain Brenda Tau, will embark on a pre-tournament training camp in Napier, commencing their journey on January 6th before the official matches in Auckland.

Brenda Tau takes the reins from Kaia Arua, who led the Lewas with dedication for the past seven years, achieving Cricket PNG's highest T20 ranking. Arua will continue to contribute on the field, supporting Brenda in her leadership role.

Four Handre Pollard penalties to two from Richie Mo’unga gave the Springboks a 12-6 lead after a first half in which All Blacks flanker Shannon Frizell was sin-binned for an incident in which Mbongeni Mbonambi was forced off injured. Then New Zealand captain Sam Cane became the first player to be sent off in a RWC final for a high tackle on Jesse Kriel.

Leicester Fainga’anuku’s try helped the All Blacks race into a 13-0 lead before centre Bundee Aki danced his way over for Ireland. Ardie Savea responded but Jamison Gibson-Park’s try, with Aaron Smith in the sin-bin for a deliberate knock-on, saw their lead cut to 18-17 at half-time.

Will Jordan bagged his fifth try of the tournament but a penalty try, with hooker Codie Taylor also getting a yellow card, saw Ireland again get within one point.

The programme is a foundational training for officers entering the Papua New Guinea Foreign Service. It is supported by the New Zealand Government and will be conducted by the Victoria University of Wellington.

Australia leapt out in an early surge that opponent New Zealand could not match at Sir John Guise Arena, beating the NZ side 96-49. NZ settled for the Silver.

In the earlier match on Saturday, Samoa defeated Guam to claim bronze, 132-63.

Guam came out firing in the first quarter, but a much-needed time out settled Samoa and they didn’t look back.

Samoa Captain, Semika Nee said the team’s performance was reflective of the work they have put in during the week and sticking to a solid game plan.

At the end of the championships, the final standings;

Mata'afa is arguing that countries like hers should not be seen merely as "outposts" which "grow" labourers for developed nations.

Key points:

An outstanding display from Captain Manaia Elliott was the driving force for the defending champions, scoring twice in the first-half and setting up another as the Kiwis took control in the opening 45 minutes at HFC Bank Stadium.

New Zealand threatened from the off, pinning Fiji deep in their half and able to quell any threats of counter-attacks from the hosts.

Fiji looked to rely on the pace and athleticism of Preeya Singh and Kasanita Tabua to create chances but more often than not found themselves swamped by their opponents defence.