Top young rugby league talent to shine on grand final day at National Schools Tournament

Some of the country’s brightest young rugby league stars are set to compete this Saturday, May 10, at the Santos Football Stadium in the highly anticipated Grand Finals of the National Schools Tournament.

Following an exciting week of high-quality pool play last month, the top teams have emerged and are ready to battle for national honours in front of fans, selectors, and live TV cameras.

Entry to Finals Day is free, and the public is encouraged to attend and support the rising talent.

The newly established tournament was created to deliver a competitive platform for school players across different age groups, with the ultimate goal of identifying and developing future rugby league stars.

“We have been delighted with the success of the pool stages of the tournament and the standard of the rugby league has been incredibly high,” Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League Pathways and Coaching Manager Joe Grima.

 “I encourage everyone to come down to Santos Football Stadium on Saturday 10 May to show their support for all finalists and have a great day out.”

The tournament has also proven to be a key addition to the national rugby league pathways system. With talent scouts and coaches watching closely, players have been given valuable exposure as the Grand Finals will be broadcast live on Digicel Pacific.

Grima praised the standard of play throughout the pool stages and the potential shown by the players.

“We believe that we have created a structure that is as good as any in the world and will hold us in good stead as we prepare for 2028 and beyond,” he said.

“We are blessed with great depth at schoolboys’ level and the job is now to harness that talent and create players that can develop into full-time professionals.

Grima also urged fans to come out in numbers; “I encourage everyone to come down to Santos Football Stadium on Saturday 10 May to show their support for all finalists and have a great day out.”