By postcourier
THE rugby league match was not only a battle between Papua New Guinea and the high profile Australians.
On the home front it was a battle between the police and the crowd numbering more than 25,000.
Echoes of guns shot ripped through the skies over looking Bisini and Port Moresby Rugby League Oval that sunday morning.
One bystander commented “Are we in the battle field.”
Every year it’s the same old story -the Australians come out victorious, while the behaviour of the crowd is unbelievable to some extent.
By 7 in the morning, thousands of rugby league fans have already lined up in front of the gates.
Scores of men in blue were rushed in, including some soldiers. The disciplinary forces attempts instill peace and calm was inevitable.
Roads leading into PRL from Bisini, Boroko centre, Angau drive and Lahara were blocked off.
Vehicles of all kinds including buses lined up these streets – evidence of no proper public car park.
Residents living along those streets opened up their gates at a cost - charging motorist for a safe car park.
Even vendors were an eye sore. They were everywhere – along those streets. Money making was the order of the day.
Colours of red, black and gold – coloured the streets - a reminiscent of the 1991 South Pacific Games.
Inside PRL, it was filled to the capacity. PRL could only cater for 18,000.
Outside the oval, rugby league fans stood in a long queue waiting patiently. By 2pm, the line snaked through vehicles and vendors. The line was almost 200 metres long and it stopped at the Bisini Netball Courts.
But the highlight was the battle between the cops and the hundreds of those who wanted to free break in to watch the game.
Behind the walls of PRL, there was a huge crowd looking for ways to get in and watch. These were the people who didn’t have any money and were looking for every way to get a glimpse of the match.
Whenever a police vehicle was sighted behind these walls, the crowd would disappear. The crowd mostly teenagers and boys would run for their lives – climb over the fence and run off.
But once the police vehicle disappeared, this same crowd would run back , jump over the fence, and then look for ways to climb up the PRL walls. Some were lucky to get over. Others ran off again when the police came.
This continued throughout the duration of the game.
Eight-year-old boy who did not want to be named was among those hundreds trying to break into PRL.
“Mi nogat moni, mama na papa ino wok,” he says.
“Sapos mi gat moni em bai mi baim geit fi.”
Asked if he was caught by the men in blue he says “sapos ol polis I holim mi emorait em pen blo now tasol”.
This eight year old was determined to watch the game no matter what.
He was not even scared if he was caught by police.
For a boy his age and determination to go through such extremes is a story on its own.
If he was shot or injured no one would have cared but this is the reality when the Australians come down for an 80 minute football.
THE rugby league match was not only a battle between Papua New Guinea and the high profile Australians.
On the home front it was a battle between the police and the crowd numbering more than 25,000.
Echoes of guns shot ripped through the skies over looking Bisini and Port Moresby Rugby League Oval that sunday morning.
One bystander commented “Are we in the battle field.”
Every year it’s the same old story -the Australians come out victorious, while the behaviour of the crowd is unbelievable to some extent.
By 7 in the morning, thousands of rugby league fans have already lined up in front of the gates.
Scores of men in blue were rushed in, including some soldiers. The disciplinary forces attempts instill peace and calm was inevitable.
Roads leading into PRL from Bisini, Boroko centre, Angau drive and Lahara were blocked off.
Vehicles of all kinds including buses lined up these streets – evidence of no proper public car park.
Residents living along those streets opened up their gates at a cost - charging motorist for a safe car park.
Even vendors were an eye sore. They were everywhere – along those streets. Money making was the order of the day.
Colours of red, black and gold – coloured the streets - a reminiscent of the 1991 South Pacific Games.
Inside PRL, it was filled to the capacity. PRL could only cater for 18,000.
Outside the oval, rugby league fans stood in a long queue waiting patiently. By 2pm, the line snaked through vehicles and vendors. The line was almost 200 metres long and it stopped at the Bisini Netball Courts.
But the highlight was the battle between the cops and the hundreds of those who wanted to free break in to watch the game.
Behind the walls of PRL, there was a huge crowd looking for ways to get in and watch. These were the people who didn’t have any money and were looking for every way to get a glimpse of the match.
Whenever a police vehicle was sighted behind these walls, the crowd would disappear. The crowd mostly teenagers and boys would run for their lives – climb over the fence and run off.
But once the police vehicle disappeared, this same crowd would run back , jump over the fence, and then look for ways to climb up the PRL walls. Some were lucky to get over. Others ran off again when the police came.
This continued throughout the duration of the game.
Eight-year-old boy who did not want to be named was among those hundreds trying to break into PRL.
“Mi nogat moni, mama na papa ino wok,” he says.
“Sapos mi gat moni em bai mi baim geit fi.”
Asked if he was caught by the men in blue he says “sapos ol polis I holim mi emorait em pen blo now tasol”.
This eight year old was determined to watch the game no matter what.
He was not even scared if he was caught by police.
For a boy his age and determination to go through such extremes is a story on its own.
If he was shot or injured no one would have cared but this is the reality when the Australians come down for an 80 minute football.
These pictures were taken at 2pm just before the
game started. These Tarami Legei photos showed what happened outside the PRL
venue.
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