Papua New Guinea referee Paul Wani will take control of today's East Asia Cup rugby league test between Hong Kong and Japan in Tokyo.
Wani will become the second Papua New Guinean to referee an international test match and the first since Graham Ainui more than 26 years ago.
Tas Baitieri from the Rugby League International Federation said he has had his eye on Wani since first watching him officiate at the 2015 Pacific Games in Port Moresby.
"He refereed very well that day and when you see a referee rise to the occasion, which he did, he stays in the back of your mind and following years we played Prime Minister's games up there (in PNG) in 2016 and 2017 and Paul's refereed the curtain-raiser games and he's done very very well in those matches as well, so when the opportunity came up to appoint a referee to do this Hong Kong versus Japan game...Paul came to my mind and we appointed him and they agreed," he said.
PNG Rugby League's Referees Director, Joe Peregua, referee Paul Wani and PNGRFL CEO Reatau Rau. Photo: Supplied
PNG Rugby League CEO Reatau Rau said Paul Wani's appointment is "a very important milestone for referees in Papua New Guinea and they hope it provides an inroad for more referees in the country.
Tas Baitieri says it's tough for whistle-blowers to break through to the top leagues so any
"There's never a lot of opportunities for the referees - they're always probably the ones that are neglected - but we've got the Pacific Games on again in Samoa next July where we will need neutral referees for these Games, it's part of the charter with the Pacific Games Council."
"Paul I'm sure will represent Papua New Guinea again in those Games, as will a number of other referees that we're monitoring in Tonga and Samoa and the Cook Islands for that matter," he said.
PNG Rugby League's Referees Director, Joe Peregua, will accompany Wani to Japan.
