The North Queensland Toyota Cowboys have hit Papua New Guinea for a four-day rugby league development tour, packed with skills training and community appearances, and supporting Trukai’s national ‘Kick for Goal’ competition.

Cowboys player Steve Southern will join Development Manager Dean Payne and Recruitment Manager Adrian Thomson on the visit, which will include three training sessions with the Port Moresby Vipers, ahead of their B Mobile Cup match this Sunday.

The Cowboys will also be on hand for Trukai’s national ‘Kick for Goal’ competition, which will see winners from six centres kicking their way to the grand final in Port Moresby on 21 August.

Second-rower Southern will travel to Madang and the Development team will be in Lae for the local kick-offs, with two finalists to be selected from each event to move into the final round.

The last day of the visit includes a meeting with Trukai to discuss the logistics of two local players attending the Cowboys Top Gun Academy in Cairns in November.

Recruitment Manager Adrian Thomson says the Cowboys are looking forward to their visit and to discussing ways to develop grassroots rugby league in PNG, given the strong contingent of local Cowboys supporters and the geographic proximity to the club’s home base of Townsville.

“The Cowboys have visited PNG a number of times over the last year and each time we’ve come back impressed and enthusiastic about the promise that the young local players show.

“We know there are many rugby league fans in PNG and we’ll be discussing the ways that Trukai and the Cowboys are working together to create opportunities and help develop the junior rugby league programs currently in place.

“This will be Steve Southern’s third visit and he really enjoys meeting the people and talking about the Cowboys and rugby league.”

Trukai Industries is a major sponsor of the North Queensland Cowboys and the club’s first international sponsor.