The extraordinary rise of women's rugby league in Papua New Guinea has upended long-established sporting and social norms. But the changes haven't been painless - for the women who love the game or the men who support them.

Sammy Rice Jackson is regularly teased, trolled and abused by sexists, misogynists and bigots.

But he understands. He used to be just like them.

The veteran rugby league coach recalls ranting angrily after reading newspaper coverage of a women's rugby league match.

"What is this girl doing," he remembers saying, outraged.

"If she is playing rugby, I hope she's climbing trees too.

"I was saying so much that was negative."

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Whatsapp Sammy Rice Jackson once hated the idea of women playing rugby league, now he is a devotee.

Sammy tells the story while keeping half on an eye on the action of the Southern Confederation Women's Rugby League Selection Trials, being played in the shadows of the PNG Football Stadium in Port Moresby.

He's coaching one of the leading teams and has now notched eight years as a pioneer of the women's game, his transformation complete.

"Now I am joining in and being a frontrunner," he says.

"At first I was hurt by the comments that were made to me but I've seen some guys coming in the same way. The ones who gave me negative comments are following me in. "I feel like slowly, I am beating them."

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Whatsapp The Southern Confederation Women's Rugby League Selection Trials were played in the shadows of the PNG Football Stadium in Port Moresby.

There is nothing slow about the Orchids' rise in profile or importance.

Less than a year after playing their historic first International against Australia's Jillaroos, the Australian aid-backed Orchids will take on the Brisbane Broncos NRL Women's team at Lang Park, just a week before the NRL Women's Premiership season starts.

A crowd of 40,000 is anticipated.

"It means that we are getting recognition from the NRL, the number one league in the world," says inaugural Orchids captain and backrower Cathy Neap, a sense of disbelief still evident.

"It means a lot to us and it's a promising future for every girl who wants to play.

It's unbelievable the things we have achieved through rugby league and where the game is now. As much as I grew up loving it, I wouldn't have believed ladies would play rugby league."

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Whatsapp Mighty Meris - Members of the PNG Orchids rugby league team.

They are, in ever-increasing numbers. A selection trial that attracted just two teams from a lone competition in 2014, has just accommodated eight teams from six competitions.

It is a scene repeated across PNG.

"A lot of competition has started to come alive," Cathy says. "Even teams from the local village are getting a bus to come all the way to the town to take part in the town competition. "Everywhere we go, the story is about rugby league."

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Whatsapp Orchids captain Cathy Neap delivers the NRL's NRL Wellbeing Program in a Port Moresby school.

Rugby league has always been PNG's favourite sporting story. But women never had a cameo, let alone centre stage.

Most Orchids players are survivors of gender violence and a woman would once have faced violent attack for violating cultural expectations if caught playing with a ball.

Cathy applauds and promotes men like Sammy for having the courage to change.

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Whatsapp Bang - the PNG Orchids hit it up against the Jillaroos in their historic first rugby league international in September 2017.

Nonetheless, pockets of resistance remain.

"They say; 'They'll kill us if women start wearing short trousers and running'," Cathy explains of the areas of PNG they are yet to allow or encourage women to play.

"PNG is a male-dominated country and luckily we had this group of men in power, as well as coaches and trainers from the beginning who have supported us.

"Without the support of these men who are behind women's rugby league we wouldn't have come this far."

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Whatsapp New women's rugby league teams are forming right across Papua New Guinea.

Having come this far, though, there is no stopping the Orchids and their momentum is steamrolling anyone who stands in their way.

Sammy has no regrets about changing allegiances.

"I am on the winning side," he says.

This story was produced by ABC International Development as part of the Pacific Sports Partnerships funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.