AusAID has once again used the annual Prime Minister's XIII rugby league game to highlight the important issue of violence against women in Papua New Guinea.
The message was promoted at the Prime Minister's XIII fundraising dinner by coaches Mal Meninga and Adrian Lam, and was enthusiastically taken up by officials and players from both the Australian Kangaroos and PNG Kumuls.
In the lead-up to the game, AusAID organised a series of charity visits for the players, including to the children's ward at Port Moresby General Hospital and to the National Broadcasting Commission, where players recorded anti-violence messages for TV and radio. The messages will be played as community service announcements in PNG in the lead up to White Ribbon Day on 23 November.
Newcastle fullback Darius Boyd and Panthers centre Michael Jennings joined local heroes Enga Mioks second rower David Loko and Mendi Muruks hooker Charlie Wabo in distributing gifts, signing autographs and being photographed.
Wabo was happy to cheer up the kids.
'We are heroes to some of these sick kids and we are so pleased to make them happy and get their minds off their illnesses,' said Wabo.
The Australian Rugby League Commission also agreed to open their training session to people with disability and more than 60 people attended.
After the training session, the team jogged over to the spectators and presented them with t-shirts and caps, posed for photographs and signed autographs.
The President of the PNG Assembly for Disabled Persons, Ms Ipul Powaseu, said it was the highlight of the year for the group.
'There are more than 60 people with a disability and their carers here today who will never forget this. I am so thankful to the Australian Rugby League Commission for thinking of us and opening their training session to us,' Ms Powaseu said.
For 25 of the 30 visiting Australians, it was their first visit to PNG and the passion that Papua New Guineans have for the game had a major impact on them.
When 3,000 people turned up at the airport to welcome the Australian side, fullback Darius Boyd said 'I don't think I've ever seen anything like this, it's crazy!'
The Kangaroos defeated the Kumuls 24 to 18 in a close fought match In front of 16,000 people at Lold Robson Oval in Port Moresby.