Santos Cup - PNG National Women's Competition

Congratulations to the incoming Santos PNG Orchids Head Coach, Craig Sandercock.

Sandercock is committed to working closely with the PNGRFL to ensure that his experience and his coaching knowledge and skills are shared with PNG based coaches, support staff and players to continue to grow the female game nationally.

📰MEDIA RELEASE

PNGRFL ANNOUNCE CRAIG SANDERCOCK AS SANTOS PNG ORCHIDS HEAD COACH

Port Moresby, 01 May 2026: The Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League (PNGRFL) is thrilled to announce the appointment of Craig Sandercock as the new Head Coach of the Santos PNG Orchids, effective immediately. Sandercock, who is currently the Head Coach of the Wests Tigers NRLW team, brings a wealth of elite-level experience to the Orchids program as they prepare for the upcoming Rugby League World Cup.

Sandercock has an impressive coaching pedigree, including previous roles with the Manly Sea Eagles, Newcastle Knights, Hull KR (Super League), and various international programs. He was instrumental in the development of Canterbury Bulldogs Women’s Program prior to their entry into the NRLW competition in 2025. His appointment signals a major step in the ongoing professionalization and development of the national women's team.

Sandercock is committed to working closely with the PNGRFL to ensure that his experience and his coaching knowledge and skills are shared with PNG based coaches, support staff and players to continue to grow the female game nationally.

PNGRFL Chairman, Sandis Tsaka, expressed his excitement about the new appointment. "We are delighted to welcome Craig Sandercock to lead the Orchids. Craig's experience in the NRLW competition, coupled with his background in the Super League, makes him the ideal candidate to take the Orchids to the next level. His commitment to developing players and building a strong team culture aligns perfectly with our vision for the future of women’s rugby league in PNG."

Sandercock commented on his new role: “I am genuinely excited by the opportunity to coach the PNG Orchids. Having lived in Papua New Guinea for two years as a small child, this role feels like a full-circle moment for me. I am impressed by the potential of the local players — their natural talent, athleticism, and passion for rugby league are outstanding. I look forward to working with all the players to harness that potential, build a competitive squad, and prepare strongly for the World Cup.”

The PNGRFL would also like to extend its thanks to the professional and support of the Wests Tiger throughout this process. Sandercock is working closely with the PNGRFL High-Performance Unit and the local coaching staff to identify and prepare a strong squad for the RLWC.

APPROVED FOR RELEASE

💥Extremely proud of our 2025 Grand Final Referee and 2025 Santos Cup Referee of the year, Heavenly Paul, as she makes her debut officiating in Round 4 of the 2026 Digicel-ExxonMobil Cup, becoming the first female to do so!👏👏👏

“My message to young girls and former women rugby league players is that match officiating is another way of contributing to the game. It is not just about playing, there are so many other opportunities to continue in the game as well, like becoming a referee.” - Heavenly Paul

🎓Congratulations are in order for 🌸PNG Orchid #68, Leila Kerowa, on graduating today from the University of Papua New Guinea, with a Bachelor of Arts, Majoring in Philosophy 👏

Proud of this Pawa Meri who has shown dedication and commitment to her studies whilst being an athlete representing her local club, her Santos Cup team and her country with the 🇵🇬PNG Orchids💪🏾

We can't wait to share more of Leila's story encouraging other young girls and women in their pursuit of an education and sports.🙏

🚨FT at Queen Elizabeth Park, Rabaul - NGI Academy Female vs Central Academy Female: NGI 16 - 02 Central 👏

🚨Full-time for NCD Academy Female vs Gulf Academy Female: NCD 34 - 0 Gulf

Shout-out to ExxonMobil PNG for hosting the first-ever female NYC match. 👏

🎉Exciting times! So good to see another division of girls playing at the national competition level!

Follow the PNG National Youth Competition for updates on our girls from NCD, Gulf, NGI, Enga, Goroka, Lae, Mt. Hagen.

The 2026 NYC season officially launches this Saturday and Sunday. Check out the full fixture list below to see where your team is playing!

📍 Rabaul | Port Moresby | Goroka

The Santos Cup is proud to be a part of the Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League's Gender Equality Strategy development and play a role in the actions to seeing the vision of its pillars achieved.

💙Merry Christmas and wishing all peace, love and joy as we enter 2026🎄✝️

God bless🙏🏾💙

2025 Junior Orchids 🌸

Our Juniors put up a close match against the Australian School Girls. This was the closest scoreline between these two teams since it began in 2023 👏🏽

Congratulations to the Australian School Girls 🇦🇺