Jonah Kautu Academy continues momentum

The Jonah Kautu Academy (JKA) recommenced Season 2, Week 2 of its 2026 rugby union program on Friday night, 21 August 2026, at Sir John Guise Stadium.

The academy began its third season of the kids' rugby program earlier this year, which ran for ten weeks.   

Season 2 of week 2 commenced two weeks ago and will run through to October as the academy continues to upskill the kids with the fundamentals of rugby. 

Former PNG Pukpuks’ representative and JKA founder Jonah Kautu explained that the program has progressed well and continued to gain traction.

“We are in session two and have eight more weeks to go. We will finish off in early October,” Kautu said. 

He said the first two weeks of session 2 this year, they have worked with the old kids to gel with the new kids before training them on technical skills.  

The interest has grown, with Kautu saying: “The number of kids has increased rapidly in the last two years.

“It’s good to see parents coming with their kids every Friday night. Compared to last season, we’ve seen almost a 50% increase in the numbers this year.” 

Established in 2023, JKA targets children and kids aged 6-17, focusing on grassroots rugby union development, discipline, and international pathways.