Welcome reception for the Prime Minister’s XIII Australian Rugby League Team
Friday 26 September 2008, Australian High Commissioner’s Residence, Toguba Hill
Address by Australian High Commissioner to PNG, His Excellency Mr. Chris Moraitis
Ladies and gentlemen
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you all to this evening’s reception for the Prime Minister’s XIII rugby league team.
I know that some members of the Australian squad, like Mal Meninga, have been to Papua New Guinea several times and I am sure you are happy to be back. For those of you who are visiting Papua New Guinea for the first time, I hope you find your visit here an enjoyable experience.
Over the next few days, you will come face-to-face with the passion that so many Papua New Guineans have for the game of rugby league, and for Australian clubs and players in particular.
In some ways, Papua New Guinea is unique in its passion for the game. It is the only country in the world where rugby league is the official national sport.
In Australia it’s the Melbourne Cup that stops a nation. Here in Papua New Guinea, it’s the State of Origin. Three nights a year, people from all walks of life dress themselves in maroon and blue and huddle around televisions sets in homes and pubs across PNG to cheer on their team.
Every year in Sydney and Brisbane on State of Origin nights the atmosphere is amazing, but it can’t compare with the excitement generated by the crowds watching the game in Port Moresby’s pubs and homes!
We’ll all get to experience this passion for the game on Sunday.
This is the fourth time the Prime Minister’s XIII has taken on the Papua New Guinean national side. The inaugural match was held to mark PNG’s 30th Anniversary of Independence, with subsequent matches held in 2006 and 2007. The first two years saw Australia claim victory on both occasions, but, as we all remember, the sides battled to a historic and hard-fought draw last year.
This year’s game should be especially exciting as both countries make final preparations for the upcoming 2008 Rugby League World Cup in Australia. Plus, it’s the Centenary Year of Rugby League.
We at the High Commission are very happy that members of the Prime Minister’s XIII will once again be using the visit to convey some critical vital messages about one of the most pressing issues facing PNG today – HIV prevention.
The spread of HIV and AIDS is one of the biggest development challenges facing Papua New Guinea today. The disease is now a generalised epidemic. It is estimated that just under 60,000 Papua New Guineans were living with HIV at the end of 2007.
Education and behavioural change are key elements in the fight against HIV. This is where you come in.
Apart from being close friends and neighbours, Australia and PNG share many traits such as a passion for sport. This makes an event like the PM’s XIII visit a great vehicle for delivering important messages to large numbers of Papua New Guineans.
Messages such as practicing safe sex and not discriminating against people living with HIV might seem simple and obvious but it is at this level that we need to fight against the tide of HIV.
And coming from people who are held in such high esteem the impact can be great.
Being selected to play for the Kangaroos or the Kumuls is undoubtedly a great honour but take a moment to think about what you can achieve off the field as well.
While your sporting performance will be talked about for many weeks after the game, by helping us get messages out about HIV and AIDS the legacy you leave behind could last a lifetime and make a big difference to the lives of many people.
The message on your jerseys this year is “Kamap Lida, Strongim Sport, Banisim HIV”, or “Be a Leader, Promote Sport, Prevent HIV”.
There are many leaders with us here tonight: leaders in government; leaders in communities; and leaders on the sports field.
So let us all find opportunities to encourage those in government, in communities, and on the sports field to stand up and show leadership, to promote sport, and to help prevent HIV.
Both teams will take to the field on Sunday determined to win. But this game is about much more than just the final score. It is also about building on the deep and enduring ties that bind Australia and Papua New Guinea together.
When the whistle blows to start the game on Sunday, the two teams will confront each other as opponents – but when the 80 minutes are up, I am sure you will come off the field as friends, with a respect for each other’s abilities.
By joining together to spread important messages about HIV prevention and by forging friendships during the short time they are together, players from both teams will help in their own way to strengthen the bonds between our two countries.
And there can be no better advertisement for the game of rugby league than that.
Before I finish can I take a moment to say thanks to the PNG Committee on HIV Prevention Through Sport. The role of the Committee is to act as the link between Sports and HIV-related Organisations – they have done a great job in coordinating the HIV-related activities surrounding the PM’s XIII visit.
I would also like to say a special thank you, to Geoffrey Hughes for the fine Australian wines served here tonight and SP Brewery for the fine PNG beer! Thank you and enjoy the evening.
Go Kumuls and go Aussies!