Former Wallabies captain Sanchez William ‘Will’ Genia has returned to his roots in Papua New Guinea, swapping elite competition for grassroots development as he looks to shape the next generation of rugby union players in a country where the code continues to fight for relevance.
Genia, 38, hails from Lalaura village in the Abau District of Central Province, about 220 kilometres from Port Moresby.
Now transitioning into coaching after a 20-year professional playing career, he is part of a wider support network within the club, mentoring players not just in rugby, but in life.
“It’s been one of the greatest joys of my rugby career. I’ve played professionally for 20 years, and I’ve now moved into a coaching space,” he said.
“The joy of moving into a coaching space is the ability to be able to give back and share and teach the game to the players.
“I think that joy is heightened even more, being back here where I’ve come from.”
At the centre of that effort is the Valley Hunters rugby union club based in Port Moresby. With the involvement of one of Australia’s most decorated rugby exports, it’s setting a high standard both on and off the field.
For those coming through the Valley Hunters system, Genia’s presence is already making an impact.
Ben Lasiel, 25, is one of the players benefiting from the club’s environment.
A representative of the PNG Pukpuks national side, Lasiel said the experience extended well beyond rugby.
PNG international Ben Lesiel in action for the Valley Hunters in a charity match (Valley Hunters facebook )
“I came to this club, I learned a lot about life, outside of rugby too, it means a lot to me in this club wearing the Valley Hunters jersey,” he said.
Genia told ABC Pacific that he felt fortunate to have returned to PNG to be part of the club and contribute to mentoring the younger players.
“I think one of the most amazing parts of the game is the lessons you get to teach from it, things like team work, being coachable, discipline, a positive attitude towards facing adversity,” he said.
“I like to share experiences around those spaces, because I think it’s more transcendent across people in general in terms of how they live.”
Taking success beyond the field
The Valley Hunters have become a dominant force on the field, winning back-to-back Capital Rugby Union premierships in 2024 and 2025.
But head coach Frank Genia, Will’s older brother, said success was never meant to stop at the scoreboard.
“We didn’t want to leave our success on the field,” he said
“We looked at ourselves and said, ‘How can we support community? Yes, we are grassroots, yes, we aren’t professional, but how can we use our platform, particularly having access to Will Genia, to support community?'”
That question has driven a broader community focus, including a partnership with Operation Open Heart Foundation.
Through a gala dinner attended by former Wallabies players Matt Giteau and Henry Speight, the club helped raise nearly K100,000 for life-saving surgeries.
Heart of Rugby gala attended by fellow Wallabies legends Matt Giteau and Henry Speight(Hunter Valleys facebook )
Frank said the club was in talks with the Papua New Guinea sports foundation to raise more money this year for the community.
The club has also worked with the US embassy, We Care Foundation and the Regina Sangu Foundation, delivering programmes for vulnerable youth and promoting gender equality.
Despite their off-field commitments, expectations remain high for on-field success, with supporters hoping for a third consecutive premiership this year.
Rebuilding rugby union from the grassroots
While the Valley Hunters are thriving locally, rugby union in PNG continues to face significant challenges, including exclusion from World Rugby and ongoing funding constraints.
In response, the club is investing in junior pathways, starting with school-based programmes for under-eights and under-tens, a strategy aimed at creating a sustainable talent pipeline.
“We’re fortunate that our junior rugby, particularly our under 20s and under 18s, are attached to a school, Port Moresby International school, and that’s essentially how the club formed, a bunch of kids who decided to continue playing,” Frank said.
Will and Frank Genia during coaching clinics with the Valley Hunters(Supplied)
He remains optimistic about the future of the game, despite governance issues within PNG Rugby Football Union.
“We have a lot of talent, I think an emphasis on grassroots footy is important, we need to flood more funding there, grow the grassroots base and of course, strengthen our pathways,” he said.
It’s a philosophy shared by Will, who now finds himself learning a new dimension of the game as he transitions into coaching following a decorated playing career that included a Super Rugby title with the Queensland Reds in 2011.
“I know so much about the game, but it’s a different perspective now looking at it as a coach, because you’ve got to now teach the game, as opposed to driving the game,” he said.
“When you’re a senior player, and you’ve played for a long time, a lot of what you do is performing.”
For him, the shift is as much mental as it is technical, moving from executing plays to shaping them.
While the path back to global competition for the PNG Pukpuks remains uncertain, the work happening at clubs like Valley Hunters represents a foundation for the future.
Will Genia laces up for training with the Valley Hunters(Valley Hunters facebook)
For Will Genia, the focus is simple: growth, patience and purpose.
“I am an ambitious person, but I am also a process-driven person. I’ve only been coaching for six months, I don’t want to sit here and say I want to coach the Pukpuks or this team or that team,” he said.
“I just want to grow and learn and be as good as I can be in this space as I progress.”