Kumuls rookie beats language barrier to become future NRL star

Rookie Kumuls playmaker Gairo Voro has triumphed over significant challenges, including language barriers, limited educational opportunities, and the early loss of his father, to emerge as one of the promising talents in Papua New Guinea rugby league, with prospects for a future in the NRL.

Voro, who bears a striking resemblance to Jarome Luai, is set to make his Test debut in the upcoming Pacific Championships match against the Cook Islands. He joins fullback phenom Morea Morea and hooker Edwin Ipape as one of three homegrown players in the Kumuls spine.

Finley Glare, another homegrown player, is also debuting in the No.14 position, and Cooper Bai, the 18-year-old son of PNG rugby legend Marcus Bai, will don the Kumuls jersey for the first time.

Bai has garnered a significant following among fans in Papua New Guinea, but Voro's journey has the potential to motivate countless local children to aspire to play for the Kumuls.

At just 22 years old, Voro hails from a remote fishing village in the Abau District of Central Province. When he joined the Hunters in 2024 after excelling in the PNGRFL's Digicel Exxon Mobil Cup, he was unable to communicate in either English or Tok Pisin, the national language of Papua New Guinea.

Despite facing notable challenges with on-and-off-field communication, Voro has generated interest from NRL clubs after captaining the Junior Kumuls last year and winning the Hunters rookie of the year award this season.