Team Name: 1134 Igam Crocs
Unit Base: Igam Barracks, Morobe Province
THE 1134 Igam Crocs will be defending their title in the 2026 Commander’s Cup set to kick off on the 17th September 2026.
In this Special Coverage of the PNGDF Commander’s Cup, Igam Crocs’ Team Manager says the 1134 Crocs will show other units, they are still the toughest team to beat.
Below is a Q and A session with the Croc’s Team Manager.
Q: Can you briefly introduce yourself and tell us more about the preparations the 1134 Igam Crocs are doing in the lead up to the Commander’s Cup.
A: I am Major Levi, my first name is Derrick. I am the 2IC of the Engineering Battalion. My role with the 1134 Igam Crocs is Team Manager. I have an assistant and there are coaching staff assisting me to prepare the Igam Crocs for the 2026 Commander’s Cup.
Q: Have you taken part in the Commander’s Cup before as a member of the management team or maybe played in the competition?
A: Not the Previous Cup in 2023. I was posted overseas on secondment to the School of Engineering in Sydney. But in competitions prior to 2023, I was involved in the Management Team.
I did not play in the Commander’s Cup, but I played for the local rugby team, Defence, but due to work commitments, I am not fully involved with the local rugby team.
Q: Igam does not only house the Engineering Battalion. Tell us more about other units that are based out of Igam Barracks.
A: Igam houses three units. The Engineering Battalion is the bigger unit, The Joint Forces Academy of JFA and the Lae Military Area. The Lae Military Area deals mostly with administrative matters.
The players who make up the Igam Crocs are from these three units. They represent Igam Barracks and Morobe Province.
Q: Igam Crocs are the reigning champions. They won the Commander’s Cup in 2023 when the games were played in Lae. How is training going so far for the defending champions?
Training is going very well. We have really stepped up without training. It is not different from what we have been doing in past competition. I think we are the inaugural cup winners for 15s in 2011, we got back the cup in 2023, and we are still holding on to the cup.
For us, training is going very well. We have a lot of experience in the coaching staff so we trust their directions.
Q: How did Igam Crocs get its name?
A: That is a fun question to ask. The name Crocs comes from the logo for the Engineering Battalion. We have two separate logos that we use, one is for civic actions, and the other is for the Battalion.
On the official crest of the Engineering Battalion you will see a Crocodile carrying tools, a shovel on the right and a pik on the left. The number 1134 when writing with Letters will give you, IBA that stands for Igam Barracks Area.
So we put all these together to get the name 1134 Crocs. The name 1134 Crocs is actually adopted from the local rugby competition in Lae.
Q: In any competition or military exercise, Igam also carries the flag of Morobe Province. In this Commander’s Cup challenge, how does it feel representing the Unit from Lae?
A: Morobe is such a beautiful place to work and live in. It is home to so many people from other provinces and Igam Barracks is the hybrid. We have soldiers from all over Papua New Guinea who are posted to work here and they call themselves Morobeans.
For us to carry the Morobe Flag to Port Moresby, is something special to us, it is a sense of pride. For myself being a Morobean I am proud that we have a PNGDF unit in Lae.
The boys are always proud when we bring the Morobe flag into the Commander’s Cup, it creates a good mix amongst units from other provinces too.
Q: Is there a particular team the Igam Crocs want to challenge in the Commander’s Cup and why?
A: Yes, we want to beat the Basilisks Marlins because they took the 10s from us. I was away on duty but after they were declared winners, they admitted to us that the winning try was a mistake, but they were awarded the try. So, I think we will go after the Marlins with a lot of aggression.
Q: What is the best part of the Commander’s Cup for you?
A: The sense of unity that it brings, it creates a good rivalry amongst the teams and also great competition. Each Unit comes with their set of players, for us the Crocs, we come with our own style of football, we play fast footy. We play with a sense of passion and endurance. We have pride in our unit, and we will carry that level of football into the tournament . We are ready for it.
Q: Any final comments?
A: Yes, we welcome any support from any Morobe Business house that wants to support the Igam Crocs. We have received support from Goodman Fielders. Lae Biscuit Company, local businesses around Igam Area but we want to see more support from corporate houses who want to carry the name of Morobe to Port Moresby.
Otherwise, a very big thankyou to the hosting unit. The Igam Crocs will be putting up a challenge, and we look forward to a good competition. May the Best Team Win!
