Local Santo hero Jean Pierrez Kenie will headline a list of 13 locally based players to form the 21 man squad to take on the Philippines Rugby League team, the Tamaraws at Chapius Stadium on Saturday 11th October, 2014 in Espiritu Santo (Vanuatu).

Kenie who hails from Port Olry Village has been selected in the squad following strong performances in Vanuatu’s Test victories over Solomon Islands and Niue in 2013 and strong form for the Fassifern Bombers in 2014.

The versatile Kenie can play in the front row, second row or lock and is also a noted goal kicker being famous for kicking goals from the sideline with both his right and left foot.

Kenie rose to prominence having been spotted by national selectors playing for the Santo Boars against the Port Vila representative team back in 2012 in the first installment of the annual inter-provincial fixture as the curtain-raiser to the inaugural Test match against Greece.

The match will again feature in 2014 with Santo looking to reverse the results of 2012 and 2013, have the home ground advantage for the first time.

Kenie was very excited about the opportunity to play in front of his home crowd in October.

“The VRL has provided me several fantastic opportunities to further my Rugby League in Australia, including my current great opportunity with the Fassifern Bombers and in the national squad over the past three seasons. I can’t wait to get the opportunity to get out in front of the whole of Santo and play for my country again, it’s going to be great”, Mr Kenie said.

Kenie will be joined by his Fassifern Bombers teammates in Sweeny Sablan, who played both Test matches in 2013 on the wing and young Xavier Philips who will be looking to make his Test debut. Test centre Nelson Law who spent the year in Australia with Queensland Cup outfit the Tweed Heads Seagulls A Grade team, has also gained selection.

Veteran and prolific try-scorer Jason Pakoasongi will be looking to add to his incredible record of playing and scoring in every one of Vanuatu’s Test matches to date. Pakoasongi a lawyer with the State Law Office just seems to get better and better each year which defies his 37 years of age and place as the elder statesman of the team.

Alex Philips, Rob Franklin, Ben Lui and Tonny Lui have also been selected and will all be looking to add to their 2013 Test caps. While Dominique Sablan, Dave Lolo, Filimone Masei and Shayne Tuilagi will be looking to force their way into the final 18 man team and make their Test debut

Interim coach and former player John Nash was very pleased with the final 21 player squad selected.

“We’ve got a great mix of experienced players and young talented players that have improved dramatically over the past few years. It will be a tough match against the Asian champions but on the back of a large and boisterous home crowd, I think we might just surprise a few people”, Mr Nash stated.

The final 21 man squad to be led by Coach John Nash and Captain James Wood is:

Anthony Delaivuna

Rob Franklin

Herbie Henderson

Jean Pierrez Kenie

Nelson Law

Samuela Loaloadravu

Dave Lolo

Ben Lui

Tonny Lui

Filimone Masei

Jason Pakoasongi

Alex Philip

Xavier Philip

Sam Pierce

Dominique Sablan

Sweeny Sablan

Joshua Tanner

Erick Tosusu

Shayne Tuilagi

James Wood (Captain)

Ben Henderson (non-playing)

To keep up to date follow the Vanuatu Rugby League on Facebook or check out the recently launched website at:  www.vanuaturl.com

Tickets can be purchased at The Espiritu hotel reception (Ex-Apex) or at the gates on game day.

Match Details

Date: Saturday 11^th October 2014

Venue: Chapius Stadium in Luganville, Espiritu-Santo (Vanuatu)

Gates Open: Midday

Santo vs Port Vila: 1pm

Vanuatu vs Philippines: 3pm

Half-time entertainment will be provided and there will be food and beverage (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) for purchase on game day.

Admission Prices

Grandstand Ticket: 1,500 Vatu

General Admission: 500 Vatu

Kids U/10: 100 Vatu

Tickets can be purchased at The Espiritu hotel reception (Ex-Apex) or at the gates on game day.

Pre-Game Function

Date: Tuesday 7^th October

Venue: Lope Lope Resort

Time: 6pm

Cost: 3,000 Vatu per person

Includes full buffet dinner, live entertainment, jersey auction and chance to meet all the international players.

Vanuatu’s inaugural Rugby League Test Captain James Wood will return to lead Vanuatu into battle at Chapius Stadium on Saturday 11^th October, 2014 when the VRL take on the might of the Asian Champions in the Philippines Rugby League team, known as the Tamaraws.

Mr Woods hails from Malo an island a short 30 minute boat ride away from where the game will be played in Luganville on the island of Espirtu Santo (Vanuatu). Mr Woods said despite missing the Test Match victories in 2013 over the Solomon Islands and Niue due to injury; captaining the  Vanuatu team in the inaugural Test match in Port Vila (Vanuatu) in 2012.

“Having the honour of captaining my country was a proud moment and the highlight of my Rugby League career. I’m looking forward playing in Santo will all my family and friends from Malo with the rest of Santo cheering me on”, Mr Wood’s said.

Woods who also captains the Tweed Head Seagulls in the Queensland Cup where he recently played a club record 200 games. Woods also holds the record for most tries with 94 and is the clubs 3^rd leading point scorer. The Seagulls club is proudly sponsoring Woods to play in the game in gratitude to the service he has given the club over 12 seasons.

Woods was instrumental in providing an opportunity for Test Centre Nelson Law and former utility Kunro Kalo to spend a year with the Tweed Heads Seagulls where they played in the clubs A Grade team throughout 2013.

Seven other players that are Australian based will join Captain Woods in the squad, including Samuela Loaloadravu who stepped in to captain the side in Woods absence in 2013. The VRL’s halfback and all-time leading point scorer Joshua Tanner is also part of the squad that includes front rower Sam Pierce that plays for the Central Queensland Capras in the Queensland Cup and trained with the Brisbane Broncos NRL team over the last pre-season.

It will also be a home coming for players raised in Santo including Erick Tosusu and cousins Herbie Henderson and Anthony Delaivuna. Their cousin rising star Ben Henderson, whose team Endeavour Sports High School recently won the Australian School Championship and is part of the Cronulla Sharks NRL U/20’s team will be a non-playing member of the squad to gain experience in the national set-up.

Interim coach and former player John Nash was very pleased with the high quality of players that will form the squad.

“All the players selected bring a wealth of experience playing in Australia and all have formerly represented Vanuatu. They are the perfect group to mentor our highly talented but largely inexperienced group of predominantly Vanuatu based players with those players to be announced in the coming days”, Mr Nash said.

The Test match will also feature the annual inter-provincial match between the Port Vila representative side and the Santo Boars.

To keep up to date follow the Vanuatu Rugby League on Facebook or check out the recently launched website at:  www.vanuaturl.com

For more information on how to purchase tickets to this exciting event please Contact us

Tickets can be purchased at The Espiritu hotel reception (Ex-Apex) or at the gates on game day.

Match Details

Date: Saturday 11^th October 2014

Venue: Chapius Stadium in Luganville, Espiritu-Santo (Vanuatu)

Gates Open: Midday

Santo vs Port Vila: 1pm

Vanuatu vs Philippines: 3pm

Half-time entertainment will be provided and there will be food and beverage (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) for purchase on game day.

Admission Prices

Grandstand Ticket: 1,500 Vatu

General Admission: 500 Vatu

Kids U/10: 100 Vatu

Tickets can be purchased at The Espiritu hotel reception (Ex-Apex) or at the gates on game day.

Pre-Game Function

Date: Tuesday 7^th October

Venue: Lope Lope Resort

Time: 6pm

Cost: 3,000 Vatu per person

Includes full buffet dinner, live entertainment, jersey auction and chance to meet all the international players.

History will continue to be made when Vanuatu Rugby League take on Asian Champions, the Philippines Tamaraws on Saturday October 11 2014 at Chapius Stadium.
Test Match Rugby League will make its debut in Luganville, the provincial centre of Vanuatu’s largest island Espirtu-Santo and the Sanma Province in another first for Vanuatu Rugby League (VRL)
Fresh off their Test victories over Solomon Islands and Niue in 2013, the Vanuatu side will be looking to add the scalp of the Tamaraws in 2014. The Tamaraws will face Niue in Sydney the weekend before coming to Vanuatu.

VRL President Tom Carlo was excited to take the game to a new market.
“Santo has been great supporters and drivers of the games in Vanuatu. It is exciting for Santo; and we hope to attract a large crowd to showcase this marquee event for Vanuatu”.

“We’re confident the people of Santo will get behind it and put a strong case forward to play games in Santo into the future”, Mr Carlo said.

The game will also feature the annual inter-provincial match between the Port Vila representative team and the Santo Boars representative team in what is sure to be an entertaining fixture. Island pride will on the line more so than ever with the game being a trial for the Vanuatu team to compete at the 2015 Pacific Games. Santo on home soil will be looking to reverse the result of the two previous fixtures.

VRL High Performance Director Brett Wright further elaborated on the opportunities available to the players in both matches.

“The VRL runs high performance programs in both Port Vila and Santo. This will act as a trial for those programs and enable players to become eligible for future opportunities through the VRL, so there is a lot to play for in both games beyond national and provincial pride”.

“This year we had a number of players on placements in Australia and there is further placements planned into the future. We have a tour planned to Australia in February, further Test Matches in October next year and the pinnacle of representing Vanuatu at the 2015 Pacific Games in Papua New Guinea”, Mr Wright stated.

To keep up to date follow the Vanuatu Rugby League on Facebook.
Tickets can be purchased at The Espiritu hotel reception (Ex-Apex) or at the gates on game day.

Match Details
Date: Saturday 11th October 2014
Venue: Chapius Stadium in Luganville, Espiritu-Santo (Vanuatu)
Gates Open: Midday
Santo vs Port Vila: 1pm
Vanuatu vs Philippines: 3pm
Half-time entertainment will be provided and there will be food and beverage (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) for purchase on game day.
Admission Prices
Grandstand Ticket: 1,500 Vatu
General Admission: 500 Vatu
Kids U/10: 100 Vatu
Tickets can be purchased at The Espiritu hotel reception (Ex-Apex) or at the gates on game day.

Pre-Game Function
Date: Tuesday 7th October
Venue: Lope Lope Resort
Time: 6pm
Cost: 3,000 Vatu per person
Includes full buffet dinner, live entertainment, jersey auction and chance to meet all the international players.

In a hard fought match, the Vanuatu Rugby League (VRL) lost an epic battle in their maiden match on Suncorp Stadium today (23 February 2014) versus the Sunshine Coast Falcons (44 points to 6).

The game started at a frantic pace as both teams played end to end football. Vanuatu had several early chances to score but were overcome by some strong Falcons defence.

Inexperience by the Vanuatu side and several penalties saw the Sunshine Coast score two early tries to lead 12-0 at the quarter. Sunshine Coast scored again at the 23rd minute to race out to a 16 – 0 lead.

It took a big shot by Santo raised front rower Herbie Henderson in the 30th minute to force a turnover and only 1 minute later the same player charged over from 10 metres out to score Vanuatu’s first and only try. It was converted by fullback Kunro Kalo to trail 16-6.

The Falcons with all the possession  on the back of an 8 – 1 penalty count scored just before half-time to head into the break up 20 – 6.

The second half started poorly for Vanuatu with a mistake off the kick off forcing a line drop out and a try to the Falcons in the 41st minute. The Falcons scored further tries in the 46th, 55th and 77thminute to run out convincing 44-6 victors.

The Vanuatu team despite being on the end of a lopsided penalty count kept trying all game and thrilled the crowd with big shots in defence and tireless work in defence. Centre Nelson Law and fullback Kunro Kalo were two of the strongest performers for a highly talented Vanuatu team.

The Vanuatu team were disappointed with the score line but not in the result and invaluable experience it gave to the players. Head Coach David Simpson commented ” I was really proud of everyone in the 24 man squad and the effort they put in today.”

“It is the biggest stage we’ve played on and considering most of the 12 players from Vanuatu were only playing in most cases their 3rd or 4th game of Rugby League at this level it is very pleasing.”

“We’ll continue to work hard and put as much time and resources as we can into our High Performance Units in both Port Vila and Santo in Vanuatu and continue to grow the game domestically as we work towards the end of year Test Matches and the Pacific Games and World Cup qualifiers in 2015″.

Vanuatu’s next fixture is expected to be one or two Test Matches in October.
Sunshine Coast 44 defeated Vanuatu 6 (Herbie Henderson Try and Kunro Kalo Goal).

The full squad and numbers were:
1.    Kunro Kalo
2.    Sweeney Sablan
3.    Alex Marango
4.    Nelson Law
5.    Alex Phillip
6.    Ben Henaway
7.    Josh Tanner
8.    Geoffrey Kausei
9.    Anthony Delaivuna
10.    Herbie Henderson
11.    Joey Meninga
12.    Ben Titoko
13.    Samuela Loaloadravu
14.    Rob Franklin
15.    Jason Pakoasongi
16.    Antonio Korikalo
17.    Julian Wells
18.    Dave Lolo
19.    Robbie Congoo
20.    Jean-Pierez Kenie
21.    Ben Lui
22.    Lorenzo Mahi
23.    Alfie Henderson
24.    Erick Tosusu

Mick Ashford from South Queensland Soils left, Herby Henderson right outside Suncorp Stadium

Santo product and Vanuatu test prop Herby Henderson led from the front for the VRL Invitational side against the Sunshine Coast Falcons in the match at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday. In a match where the score line didn’t represent the closeness of the contest Henderson was a stand out. His strong charges constantly threatened the line and he was rewarded with a try late in the first half. He also pulled off some absolute bell ringers in defence forcing at least two Falcons players from the field.
Herby isnt the only big hitter in the family, he was joined by two of his cousins Alfie Henderson and Anthony Delavuna who were also outstanding for the VRL invitational side. The boys will now turn their attention to VRL fixtures later in the year . Follow us on facebook or watch this space for more info on up coming promotions and events.