Magic Memories For Trev

FROM a small village in Papua New Guinea to scaling the Eiffel Tower, Ipswich Jets forward Trevor Exton has followed rugby league across the globe and hopes next year it will bring him a World Cup fairytale.

A cold European winter is a long way from the clear waters of the remote PNG town of Kavieng, where Exton spent his youth before migrating to Brisbane.

Kavieng has a population of 3500 and it’s mainly known for its great diving spots, a little different from the glasses of vintage wine Exton was sampling in Paris this October.

“The tour was great,” exclaims Exton.

“I’ve never been overseas, apart from PNG, so it was amazing.”

The trip was a real eye opener for the 12 PNG locals in the Kumuls side who had never been outside PNG.

“They did it hard in the cold. They had never felt temperatures below 25 degrees so it was pretty weird for most of them, but they loved it. Just seeing the different cultures was great for all of us,” says Exton.

The tour went from Port Moresby to London, to Wales and then to France, where they visited Marseille, Bordeaux and finally Paris.

The side performed best in France, where they lead the French 20-10 in the opening game before eventually falling 38-26.

“Those guys (France) had been together for two years and we had only been together for two months so it was a great result to be competitive with them,” says Exton.
 
Exton, 26, is passionate about league and its role in helping the people of PNG. He hopes once his career finishes he can develop juniors in the poverty stricken country.

Most residents of Kavieng never venture beyond the island’s idyllic shores and come State of Origin time 300 people crowd around one television.

“Rugby league is massive over there, it’s mad,” says Exton.

“Playing in that game against the Aussies (the Kumuls drew with the PM’s XIII 25-all in Port Moresby) was the best football experience of my life. There was more than 6,000 fans crammed into a 3,000 capacity stadium. It was awesome.”

Exton however, is not so pleased with the World Cup draw, which pits PNG against heavyweights Australia, NZ and England.

“It’s the first time I’ve heard of a World Cup that has the best three teams in one pool,” says Exton.

“It’s an ordinary draw but we have to live with it.”

“It basically says we are the fourth best team in the world and I don’t think we are at the moment.”

Exton says life in PNG is ‘like a time capsule’ where the bizarre and outdated is accepted as normal.

In 2004 several Kavieng businesses shut down after a series of crimes scared the owners.

“It’s a very basic life,” says Exton.

“It’s like going back in time 30 years.”

Exton has a long term goal of playing Super League in England, where his world could be broadened by more trips abroad.

Exton admits he has yet to take football seriously, but plans on making amends by putting in the hard yards for Ipswich before helping PNG beat one of its more fancied rivals and snatch a fairy tale semi-final spot.

By Chris Garry
December 7 – 2007

Photo courtesy of Grant Robertson