Pride boss backs Pacifique Treiza - with important one condition

The introduction of a new rugby league franchise based in the South Pacific has the unwavering support of Northern Pride chairman Tony Williamson – but with one important condition.

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The introduction of a new rugby league franchise based in the South Pacific has the unwavering support of Northern Pride chairman Tony Williamson – but with one important condition.

The bid team, Noumea, New Caledonia and named Pacifique Treize, aims for inclusion in the Intrust Super Cup by 2023.

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If successful, the bid, backed by former Melbourne Storm academy coach Laurent Garnier, would tap into the South Sea Island populations on Queensland’s coastline for away games.

“This will be a real advancement for the competition as we seek to bring a new, interesting product for the fans and we hope to engage with the Australian South Sea Islander community so that we can create a great atmosphere for the fans at the away games as well as the home ones,” Garnier said.

The bid’s website states they have “ambitions to not only develop an elite Intrust Super Cup side but also to further assist with the development of rugby league throughout French speaking Pacific territories including New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna, French Polynesia and Vanuatu”. The bid will also have strong links with the Solomon Islands.

It follows the blueprint of the PNG Hunters and Kaiviti Silktails, who fought for entry to the Intrust Super Cup and NSW Cup respectively.

The Hunters have been in Queensland’s premier rugby league competition since 2014, winning it all in 2017, while the Silktails were set to enter the Ron Massey Cup this year with a view to transition to the NSW Cup next year. How the coronavirus pandemic affects those plans is not yet known.

Williamson labelled the audacious bid a “fantastic idea” which could be more beneficial to the wider South Sea Islander community than just rugby league.

But he warned the addition of such a franchise would need a viable financial model.

“I don’t know how they’d fund it, but if it was a viable model then I’d give it a green light,” Williamson said.

“You just have to look at the number of Pacific Islanders in the NRL today.

“The South Sea Islands are a breeding ground for NRL players, and it’s something even the NRL should look at.

“The thing is it has to be feasible. We’ve seen a lot of change due to this coronavirus and we need to make sure it can work.”

As for the Pride, the Barlow Park club won’t take the field in 2020 after the cancellation of the season.

A Northern Championship between the Pride, Blackhawks, Cutters and Capras was floated by Townsville officials last month though Williamson has already ruled out the Pride’s participation due to the costs involved and lack of economic certainty given the current climate.

Instead, Pride players will be allocated to Cairns District Rugby League clubs so they can play footy this year, though when the CDRL can come back is not yet known.

Contact community sport competitions may return in Queensland on July 10, but officials have said they could not run without spectators.

That date is tentative and with a restriction of 100 people, though that limit could even be too much for the CDRL to justify running a competition.

Originally published as Pride boss backs Pacifique Treiza - with important one condition