Nicholas Ora scoops Rhinos 10s Sydney Wesley Cup MVP Award

Nicholas Ora made his presence felt in the 2025 Rhinos 10s Sydney Wesley Cup, powering the Gerehu Natives to championship glory and walking away with the prestigious Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. 

The rising talent put the two-day tournament on notice from the opening day to the finals, showcasing his skills and stealing the spotlight. He played a pivotal role in the Gerehu Natives’ championship success.

A born and raised Gerehu kid, having roots in Bougainville and Central, Ora wears his heart on his sleeve and puts his body on the line every time he plays for the Natives, which was evident in his outstanding MVP performance.

The Natives competed in the recently concluded Firelight 7s tournament and reached the Cup finals, but lost to La Sallians from Eight Mile. Despite a short turnaround, they regrouped and came firing on all cylinders to claim their first Rhinos 10s Sydney Wesley Cup. 

Ora was speechless after snatching the MVP award, expressing: “I can’t describe this feeling. Winning both the Cup and MVP award is overwhelming. I’m proud of the boys and happy to be named the MVP of the tournament.

“After the Firelight 7s, we prepared for a week to take part in the Rhinos 10s. It was challenging, but we had faith and trust in each other, which saw us remain unbeaten and go all the way to win the cup.”

He acknowledged his coach, teammates, friends, and family for their support. He also extended his thank you to the loyal fans for their support, dedicating the cup and MVP award to the Gerehu community.       

The Bougainville-Central lad noted that he still had a long career ahead of him, so he wants to work hard, ground himself, and look forward to winning more titles - whether in the CRU competition, 7s or 10s tournaments, collectively.  

The skillful fly-half revealed that his future aspiration is to represent PNG and play for the Pukpuks. He admitted that it would be a long shot to make the national team, but he is ready to put in the work to realize his ultimate goal.

“This is just the beginning of my career. I have so many years to play this game. My dream is to play for the PNG Pukpuks and represent my country with pride one day. I have trust and faith in my ability to achieve this goal,” Ora said.

Nicholas Ora currently plays for the University Piggies Rugby Union Club in the Capital Rugby Union (CRU) competition. He has played in the Piggies’ U20 division for a few years and was promoted to the premier grade last season.