Former Orchids Rep Turns Cop

Lisa Marie Alu, a two-time PNG Orchids representative, recently passed out of the Bomana Training College and is ready to serve in the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC).  

She comes from Bunumwo village in the Nondugl Rural Local Level Government (LLG) of North Waghi District, Jiwaka Province.  

Alu began playing rugby league while attending high school, where she quickly flourished in her career and represented PNG a few years later.              

“I started playing rugby league when I was in high school, and participated in the Moresby South League,” she said. 

“In 2021, I was playing in the Governor's Cup in Jiwaka and got selected to play for the Highlands Zone in the Zone Championships. 

“From there, I was selected to represent PNG through the PNG Orchids in the 2022 Rugby League World Cup in England.”

Her father was the man who inspired her to play the 13-man code, including Elsie Albert, who became PNG’s first female player to participate in the NRL Women’s competition. 

“The person who inspired me is my father, and one of my role models in the game is Elsie Albert, whom I admired everything about her. She’s a powerful lady,” Alu said. 

While playing rugby league, she noticed that domestic violence has been one of the biggest issues affecting women in PNG, so she decided to join the force to combat the chronic problem.

“The thing that motivated me to join RPNGC is that, as a woman, seeing a lot of women and young girls experiencing domestic violence and abuse in the community compels me to address the issue,” she said.

“I want to ensure that other women do not suffer the same trauma and become active agents in reducing violence against women, so they don't feel dismissed or ignored by authorities.”

The Jiwaka lady added that graduating at the Bomana Training College with flying colors was special and emotional, describing it as “profound and transformative.” 

“Passing out from Bomana Police College was a profound and transformative moment. It marks the culmination of months of waking before sunrise, studying, and rigorous physical and mental training,” she said.  

“Passing out with the uniform with a badge signifies that all the late nights and mornings were worth it - having answered the call to serve my country and protect the innocent people, especially young girls and women.” 

She admitted that it has not been an easy journey for her, trying to juggle both her rugby league career and mastering skills at RPNGC’s elite training college.       

“In rugby league, the challenges I've faced or seen were often the lack of the same level of training, funding, and equipment as the men's team, making it hard to build the required skills and physical conditioning,” Alu said.  

“At Bomana Police College, the challenges I faced were getting up as early as 4 am and late nights with intensive training. However, the training was not a problem for me; it’s just that our good sleep has been disturbed in the early hours of the morning.”

Alu has been posted to Mt Hagen to undergo her 18-month practical, where she aims to use rugby league to fight law-and-order issues, while participating in the local competition to maintain her fitness.   

“I will utilize rugby league as a tool for community policing to connect with local communities, mentor youths, reduce social issues, and maintain the ethical standards in both my personal and professional careers,” she said.  

“I will still be playing, but right now, I'm still training. I completed a six-month theory training in Bomana, and I'm a Probation Constable. I will be doing my 18-month practical in Hagen, so in my free time, I thought of joining a club and playing.”