Orchids star Gloria Kaupa mixes rugby league with heart surgery
Rugby league isn’t for the faint-hearted — but Gloria Kaupa is balancing her role playing for PNG in the World Cup 9s and studying to become one of her nation’s first female cardiothoracic surgeons.
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She is the second-row surgeon who is defying the odds — and Papua New Guinea’s developing economy — to help her people.
Gloria Kaupa, 21, will play for the PNG women’s side in the World Cup 9s at Bankwest Stadium on Friday and Saturday.
However, while her Orchids teammates struggle to find employment, Kaupa is studying at the University of Papua New Guinea to become a cardiothoracic surgeon.
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Kaupa, who is from Goroka but is now based in Port Moresby, wants to be one of the first female surgeons in PNG, where the ratio of people to doctors is one in every 17,000.
“I am in my first year to be a doctor or surgery, the heart, cardio,” she said. “I am trying to play rugby league, make the rep team and also be successful in what I dreaming about.
“Most of the girls in the team are stay-at-home mums, some don’t have work at all. A few of them are students. There aren’t a lot of players with jobs.
“If my studying goes well, then I will do another three years. If I can (obtain a degree), I will stay in PNG and help give back to my people.
“If I am successful in my dreams, I will be doing it for my people as well as trying to come back and play for the Orchids. We are very proud of our culture and customs.”
Human rights organisations describe Australia’s nearest neighbour as one of the toughest places in the world to be a woman. The country has an appalling rate of domestic and sexual violence.
The Australian Government has provided funding assistance for the Orchids to participate in the World Nines through the Pacific Australia Sports program.
“We have been preparing for months and we are really excited to be in it,” Kaupa said.
It’s a privilege. We are really strong and we trust ourselves. We will come hard.
“I have come to Australia before during the World Cup in 2017. I love playing and meeting new people.”
All teams for the #RLWC9s! #ilovesydney pic.twitter.com/u90m00AhVO
— NRL (@NRL) October 16, 2019
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Rugby league is one thing that unites the people of PNG.
“I’m excited to be here for the Nines because it’s PNG,” Kaupa said. Back home, we are all rugby league fanatics. We have our people and the game helps us all come together.
“If you see the way the crowd supports us at our games at home, this is what it is all about.”
New Zealand international Teuila Fotu-Moala has been the inspiration for Kaupa.
“She is my role model,” she said.
The two highest-placed teams from the women’s pool, which features Australia, New Zealand and PNG, will meet in the final.
PNG’s men have a difficult assignment. The Kumuls are in a pool with Australia, New Zealand and the United States.
Originally published as Orchids star Gloria Kaupa mixes rugby league with heart surgery