Ramu held a carnival in September at Dumpu. There were six teams playing and some spectators, including former player Richard Blackley. Mato was injured with a hit near the eye from David Hannon; the wound was stitched at Ramu Sugar Clinic. The next event that included polocrosse was also at Dumpu, an engagement party for April and Grant. There were about forty guests from Lae and Goroka including a helicopter load with Mal. and Christine Smith. Some North Queenslanders were also present - Ross and Heather Barr, Peter Hall and Craig Foot. We ended up with three A Grade teams and one C Grade. Dumpu supplied thirteen horses and Gusap some. We played late on Saturday afternoon and on Sunday morning. It was social polocrosse for our own entertainment. Ross, Heather, Peter and Craig stayed for a few days, including driving to Madang in the Dumpu vehicle. Grant then took them to Lae. The only thing to mar a happy weekend was two cartons of beer being stolen from the chiller room, no doubt by one of our employees.

Dumpu Social Polocrosse Crowd

The National Titles were held in Goroka with Goroka A team collecting the good players back to Goroka. Their team of Arthur Jones, Mike Bromley, Paul Frame, Simon Brennan, David Hannon and James Frame were much too strong for Ramu, who in Grant's words were "Thrashed in the A and B Grades". Grant, Kipas, Scott, Mato, Sulli and Fabian were not enough, without Joe Bruno and with less practice and enthusiasm.

Rest break at Dumpu

Markham Valley had played very little. Bruce Duffield and Trevor Kennedy had retired. Keepas Kamare was there - late. The results were A grade - Goroka, B Grade- Markham Valley, C Grade Ramu. So ended polocrosse in PNG. Arthur Jones' good mare Emma broke down, she was sent to Dumpu to be nursed and fed, but she did not improve and was obviously in pain so had to be "put down". Several good horses lost their status and were left to fend for themselves around Goroka and other towns. Fortunately, the Ramu and most of the MV horses were station horses and carried on with their normal lives to retire in their own paddocks along with some of our friends horses.

Dumpu Game in progress

There was an AGM in Goroka in 1996; James Frame was elected President. As a Goroka player he tried to collect funds from MV, Ramu and Lae for the trophies for the last National Titles. All these Clubs were 'broke' and had long since closed their books. The self-made team who had raised money under the auspices of the PNGPC finally went to South Africa in 1996 under the mantle of the Goroka Club. The team was Simon Brennan, Merv. Mangan, Mike Bromley, James Launder, James Frame andMichael Beirne.

While PNG polocrosse was not enhanced with too many people changing Clubs to be "with the winners" in the last few years, throughout the twenty five years we played as Clubs, of which we were proud, we had good competition and a lot of fun. We made many life long friends among the PNG players, and with visitors to PNG from Australia and overseas.

Players had always moved around Clubs, mostly when their employment took them to another area. Some were enticed to change jobs; Aitap, Mata. Joe Bruno was a strong factor in three National titles wins, one for Markham, and then he was moved to Gusap, one for Ramu and the third in the Barbarian team. The movement of the "Big Guns" to Ramu in 1987, and Lae in 1990 revived those two Clubs. But the "new" Ramu A were defeated by the genuine Markham Valley in 1987. In 1991, the remnants of Ramu and Goroka A graders, playing as the Barbarians defeated the strong Lae team. Again in 1993, a genuine Ramu team defeated Lae A which included Goroka players Arthur Jones and David Hannon, and MV player Trevor Kennedy. Overall the years the Clubs with players who were there for years, e.g. Ramu and MV with their local stockmen supported by long time residents, ie the jJephcotts and Beirnes won the most at the National Titles. (See atachment).

The family aspect of polocrosse (marked in Bold in players list) made the game stable, entertaining and fun. About 250 people, including Juniors, played the game as some time in the era designated, of these 80 were Nationals, 52 were women and girls. Of these ladies only a few stand out - Heather Atherton, Rose Palm, Jan Jones, Dot and Sandi Jephcott, Meg Taylor, Angie Blomfield, Amanda Reid, Heather Pegg and the best of the governesses and Ramu Sugar ladies. Many others just passed through. In the early days when the Best Lady player received a Trophy it was always Dot or Heather Atherton. Jan, Dot and Sandi by chance and good play, have their names on the AL Rose Cup, but Rose and Heather Atherton were real PNG A Grade players too, playing for their Club A Grade regularly.

The D Grade and Junior competition has not rated much mention. The D Grade tendered to be leftovers, and often had players from more than one club. Do not be insulted, those who played in D Grade, the writer was often asked to make up a D Grade team, at least everyone "got a game".

The Junior competition started in 1980, before that date, Juniors such as James Simmons, Grant and Sandi played in C Grade. Goroka started with a strong team, a local lad - James, David & Mike Hannon, Chris Lamond, James Launder and Bill Gaardiner. They went on to play well in later years. They defeated a Lae team -Jacqueline Kennedy, Michael Beirne, Mark Buhler, Jodie Smith, Pauline Robertson and Monique Corjieja), some othese players became well known. The Goroka team weakened when the Hannons left PNG, and James grew up. Lae had two teams often. MV came into the picture winning the Junior competition from 1983-88. They had some smart young local lads plus Beirne, Harsant, Kennedy and later Blomfield children. Ramu only fielded one Junior team, in 1988 - three Leahys, Louise and two locals; they were demolished by MV. In later years, Lae had a strong Pony Club with some members keen to play polocrosse at Sulikon. Occasionally there were family matches; one between the Beirnes and Kennedys was a battle royal, ended in a draw!

The friendships we made in Australia and overseas through polocrosse were strong and lasting. The hospitality in the polocrosse world of South Africa and Zimbabwe is legendary. The Jephcotts, Arthur, Mike and others were given warmest welcomes in Africa and passed on to other polocrosse families there.

My apologies for errors and omissions, this is it -EM TASOL - Barb Jephcott