QLD PNG KOKOMOS NINES EVENT NOMINATED FOR SPORTS AWARD

The Annual QLD PNG Kokomos Rugby League Nines Carnival, held in Beenleigh, QLD has been
nominated as Sports Event of the Year in the Audi Centre Springwood 2017 City of Logan Sports Awards.
The event is hosted by QLD PNG Rugby League. It started as a means to trial players to select the QLD
PNG Representative Men’s Open team for the Queensland Pacific Island Cultural Carnival (QPICC) in
2014. It has now evolved into a full blown Rugby League Nines carnival in its own right. The inaugural
Kokomos Nines Carnival was held at Bill Norris Oval, Beenleigh with the visiting PNG team, the Owan
Titans being named Championship winners.
Just three years later, the only thing that is recognisable about the event is the location in Beenleigh.
The Kokomos Rugby League Nines Carnival has grown in both scale and stature, attracting a mix of
international, professional and amateur talent all vying for $5000 in cash and place in the QLD PNG
Kokomos Men’s Open squad when they take on the likes of the Indigenous, Maori, Cook Islands, Tonga, Samoa, Tokelau and other Pacific Island teams in the annual QPICC carnival hosted by the QRL. The
QPICC Carnival will be held in the last weekend in October.
This year’s Kokomos Nines Carnival will be held on the 23rd September, 2017 at Bill Norris Oval,
Beenleigh, Queensland. Kokomos Nines Carnival will play host to 12 teams from Brisbane, NSW and Papua New Guinea.
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The local Brisbane based PNG cultural heritage teams include 2015 winners and last year’s runner-up,
CDMC, Hiritano Jets, Logan Central, Mek Brothers, and Tamioks as will the Owan Titans from PNG. Also
from PNG are Team DOF, Southern Heat, Bootless Bay Sharks and the Port Moresby Vipers. X-P-R-L Rams will represent NSW Country. Unfortunately, last year’s winners, West Papua Warriors, won’t be
able to make the trip to defend their title.
The Nines format aims to showcase PNG Rugby League talent, which is characterised by its fast,
flambouyant style, ‘never say die’ attitude and big hits and the spectators just can’t get enough of it.
Winners of the Audi Centre Springwood 2017 City of Logan Sports Awards will be announced at this
annual Gala Awards Presentation on the 5th October, 2017. The Gala dinner will be feature Australian
cricketing legend, Ian Healy as MC and seven times World Champion Surfer, Layne Beachley as Guest
Speaker.
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