Home is where the heart is: Orchids building towards World Cup

Orchids coach Tahnee Norris and captain Elsie Albert believe the opportunity to be based in PNG for the Pacific Championships will help prepare the squad for next year’s World Cup.

Papua New Guinea will host Cook Islands and Tonga in the Women's Pacific Bowl after being relegated from the Pacific Cup, and while disappointed Norris and Albert see a chance to build the squad.

With players drawn from the NRLW, Queensland’s BMD Cup, the Harvey Norman NSW Premiership and even Super League, as well as PNG’s Santos Cup, Norris said the Orchids would benefit from three weeks in camp together.

“We had a really tough turnaround last year, with the PM’s XIII game straight into the playing the Jillaroos five days later,” Norris said.

“This year all three games are going to be in PNG and obviously that is in our favour because it is tough to play in PNG, it is hot conditions, and our girls are definitely used to it.

“We also get to spend more time with them, and I think that is the hardest thing for us. We have players playing in Australia and in PNG and they have to come together really quickly.”

The Orchids will play Cook Islands on October 18 and Tonga on November 1, with both matches at Santos Stadium in Port Moresby.

Albert, Parramatta team-mate Fleur Ginn, North Queensland forward Essay Banu, Wests Tigers prop Jessikah Reeves and Canberra pair Relna Hosea and Ua Ravu are playing in the NRLW.

Orchids secondrower Emily Veivers helped Wigan to victory in June's Challenge Cup final at Wembley Stadium.

“Last year was disappointing but we are building every year and our squad is looking good,” Albert said.

“We have a lot of Papua New Guinea internationals playing NRLW, we have a couple of girls playing in the NSW Harvey Norman Premiership, a couple of girls playing in the BMD competition and mixed with the local crop that are playing in the Santos Cup it should be a good mixture of girls.

"I am keen to see how we go at the end of the season.”

The second season of the PNG Women’s Santos Cup kicked off last weekend and the PNGRFL has also introduced the Blossoming Orchids program to help players transition from the Junior Orchids to the Test team.

The Blossoming Orchids played the Broncos and Australian Defence Forces earlier this year, while six players - Marie Biyama, Belinda Gwasamun, Josephine Howard, Leila Kerowa, Meli Joe and Yolanda Taute - attended last week’s Harvey Norman Rising Talent Invitational in Newcastle.

“We got some really good signs out of that for our local PNG girls,” Norris said.

“They are playing more high level games and that is what we needed, so I think now going to the Pac Bowl after the PM’s XIII game at the end of the season I am looking forward to it.

‘“They know the level that they need to be at and they know that if they want to put their hand up for the World Cup at the end of next year they need to be performing in the Pac Bowl this year.

“I think there are some really good players coming through and it has been shown with the Invitational as well, having six girls putting their hand up so that NRLW teams start taking a look at them.

“There are some good players coming through and it is exciting for PNG to put a stamp on the World Cup for next year as well.”

View the full draw for the 2025 Pacific Championships