WEEKEND warriors of park rugby league or park footie form the backbone of the Philippine National Rugby League’s (PNRL) national side, the Philippine Airlines (PAL) Tamaraws.
By ERICK ELEFANTE
Without them, the Philippines would not have a competitive international rugby league team in its infancy.
Tweed Coast Raiders played Parkwood Sharks in the B division grand final of the Queensland Rugby League Powerguard Cup and narrowly lost, 32-28, on Saturday, August 10, 2013.
Among the Raiders were captain-coach Arwin Marcus, who has been selected with his brother James to represent the PAL Tamaraws at the 2013 Asian Cup in the Philippines on October 19-23.
The brothers were joined throughout the season in the Raiders squad by Tamaraws Justin Wrigley and Dennis Gordon.
PNRL board member Rene Payne, who formed Cebu City Chiefs Rugby League team with Raiders assistant coach and Tamaraws’ head coach Clayton Watene are also with the Raiders.
The Chiefs will compete in the second Clark International Rugby League 9s in the Philippines in a curtain-raiser in the morning of the Asian Cup game between the Philippines and Japan on October 19.
Recently in Sydney, Jason Bedford and younger brother Matthew, turned out at the A-grade South Sydney Juniors semi-final with the Navy Tridents who played the Kensington United Dragons. The Tridents went down, 21-12.
The brothers raised funds for the victims of Typhoon Bopha in the Philippines in last December 2012.
Park Footie players like the Bedford and Marcus brothers, Justin Wrigley, Dennis Gordon and Rene Payne have been the back-bone of the Tamaraws, without whom the team’s National Rugby League (NRL) stars Andrew Everingham of the South Sydney Rabbitohs and Kevin Gordon, Shane Gray and Matt Srama of the Gold Coast Titans will have no solid.
This Filipino-heritage park Rugby League players are also doing a lot more than playing for the national team. Many have contributed to the development of Rugby League in the Philippines such as like Rene Payne with his formation of the Cebu City Chiefs Rugby League team
Rugby League in the Philippines is in good hands with the support of the many Filipino-heritage players who are doing their bit to bring the “Greatest Game of All” to the Philippines.
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PICTURES: At the top, brothers Jason and Matthew Bedford of the Navy Tridents. Lower: Tweed Coast Raiders Rene Payne, assistant coach Clayton Watene, Justine Wrigley, captain-coach Arwin Marcus, and James Marcus.
Photos by: Clayton Watene.
