Rau to commercialize Rugby League (Post Courier 03/01/17)

The Team Kumul Logo above and below
the SP Hunters Logo

By FIDELIS SUKINA

Reatau Rau the new Chief Executive Officer of the Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League has set his task out to bring in income from the two biggest brands in rugby league in PNG.

He said one of his first tasks as CEO of PNGRFL is too help promote the two brands which are the SP PNG Hunters and the national team the Kumuls.

“One of the first things I will be concentrating on will be the two key powerful brands that we have, we have the SP PNG Hunters and Team Kumuls and they are very powerful brands.

He said the game needs to sustain itself apart from the funding from the National Government and Corporate Sponsorship.

“The other thing is the business side of things I think we are very lucky with Government support and corporate support but the game needs to sustain itself.


“And I am hoping to bring on board as a proposal to commercialize the game the business side of it and let the game run its own money.

“We need to look into merchandising we need to look into the membership aspirations to look at all the other aspects of this hopefully in the next couple of months we bring in some commercial experience people and once board approves it we go from there,” Rau said.

Rau also mentioned that he wanted to see the current culture of rugby league move forward from the top right down to the grassroots level.

“The culture we want to build, the Kumuls culture and Hunters culture everything goes to the roots of the game down on the ground and that’s not only including just the players but the Governance areas coaching and referees all others must align with the current standard set right now,” Rau said

He also made mention of the plan to bring the local competitions on par with the development programs that PNGRFL has planned.

“I like to revisit a plan with the board to go back to the local leagues and confederates that’s where the masses are and listen to them and bring their aspirations to align with the PNGRFLs plan and bring them on par with the development programs we have,” Rau said

Rau is aged 52 and hails from Vabukori Village in National Capital District and is a accountant by profession he was the General Manager of Turumu Investments Part of the Brain Bell Group of Companies and has worked with his employers Brian Bell for 32 years before being appointed as PNGRFL CEO

He was also the treasurer for PNGRFL and PNGNRL before his appointment as CEO.