Bougainville’s Black Orchids have secured an invitation to compete at the prestigious Coral Coast Sevens tournament in Fiji in January, following their impressive performance and victory at the Cairns Sevens competition in Australia.

Member for Bougainville and Patron of the Bougainville Rugby Union, Peter Tsiamalili Jnr, stated that the invitation is an important opportunity for the team to continue testing its abilities against established international opposition.

Speaking during a visit to Kumul Minerals Holdings to acknowledge the company’s support, Tsiamalili confirmed that tournament organizers had contacted the Black Orchids following their Cairns success, reserving a place for the team at the January 13 and 14 competitions.

He said the Coral Coast Sevens attracts teams from several rugby-playing nations, including France, England, the United States, New Zealand, Australia and Fiji.

Many of the participating teams compete under development sides, although they represent national rugby programmes preparing players for higher-level competitions, including the World Rugby Sevens Series.

Tsiamalili said the opportunity would expose Bougainville's players to a higher standard of competition and allow them to measure their progress against experienced international sides.

He said the Black Orchids had faced difficult opposition in Cairns, including the Fiji Defence Select side, which had been regarded as one of the favorites to win the tournament.

Despite facing physically bigger and more experienced opponents, Tsiamalili said the Bougainville team demonstrated that speed, fitness and a strong understanding of the game could make the difference.

He said the team’s preparation in Fiji had played an important role in improving its performance, with players exposed to technical coaching and training with experienced rugby personnel.

The Cairns' victory was also the result of years of development, with the Black Orchids progressing from struggling in their early national competitions to becoming a competitive team capable of winning major tournaments.

Tsiamalili said the invitation to the Coral Coast Sevens showed that the team’s development journey was opening new opportunities beyond Papua New Guinea.

He said the achievement had generated excitement among communities back home, particularly young people who could now see that Bougainville athletes were capable of competing internationally.

The team is expected to use the upcoming competition to gain further experience and continue building its reputation in rugby sevens.

“Our job has not ended. It's only just begun,” Tsiamalili said.