Papua New Guinea NRL team

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This article is about the future professional NRL team. For the semi-professional Queensland Cup team, see Papua New Guinea Hunters. For the national men's rugby league team, see Papua New Guinea national rugby league team.
 PNG NRL Team 
Club information
Colours  Gold
  Black
  Red (possible colours)
Founded2024
(To begin playing in 2028)
Current details
Ground(s)
CEOAndrew Hill[1]
CompetitionNational Rugby League

An as-yet unnamed professional rugby league football team based in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea will compete in Australia's National Rugby League from the 2028 season.

The inclusion of a Papua New Guinea-based team in the NRL was announced on 12 December 2024, as part of the Pacific Rugby League Partnership involving the Australian Rugby League Commission and Australian Government, in which AU$600 million in government funding will support the new team as well as grassroots development and other community initiatives in Papua New Guinea and the Pacific islands.[2][3]

The team will be the 19th in the NRL, with the ARLC finalising to a $645m deal with the Western Australian Government on 8 May 2025, thereby securing the Perth Bears as the 18th team: the Bears will enter the competition in 2027.[4]

Background

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Papua New Guinean rugby league in Australia

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See also: Rugby league in Papua New Guinea, Expansion of the National Rugby League, and Papua New Guinea Hunters

Rugby league is the most popular sport in Papua New Guinea[5] and even regarded its national sport,[6] and efforts to launch an NRL team in the country date back to 2008, when prime minister Sir Michael Somare announced a Papua New Guinean bid.[7] In 2014, the Papua New Guinea Hunters entered the state level Queensland Cup competition, going on to win the premiership in 2017.[8]

In February 2021, PNG Prime Minister James Marape declared his hopes of an NRL side in the country by 2025.[9] Through 2023 and 2024, a Papua New Guinea bid was viewed as a frontrunner to enter the NRL, in light of an Australian Government plan to invest $600 million over a 10-year period in rugby league and socio-economic programs in the country.[10] Discussions have included a proposal from ARLC chairman Peter V'landys to offer tax-free status to rugby league players who played for a Papua New Guinea NRL team.[11]

On 12 December, 2024, a Papua New Guinea team in the NRL was formally announced, with the team planned to begin playing in the league in 2028.[3] The name and colours of the team are yet to be determined.[citation needed]

On 24 June 2025, the ARLC boss Peter V’landys met with PNG Prime Minister James Marape to unveil the new franchise’s seven-person board chaired by former Bulldogs supremo Ray Dib.[12] Dib was unveiled as PNG’s first chair and will head-up a seven-person board that includes Melbourne Storm legend Marcus Bai. The other board members are Lorna McPherson, Richard Pegum, Stan Joyce, Wapu Sonk and Ian Tarutia.[13]

Security agreement: Australia vs China

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The Papua New Guinean NRL team will be funded by a $600 million package from the Australian government over a ten-year period,[4] as part of the NRL's Pacific Rugby League Partnership which supports and provides investment into grassroots, pathways, and elite rugby league across Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Samoa and Fiji.[3]

In a separate deal, signed in exchange, the Papua New Guinean Government reaffirmed a security pact with Australia aimed at growing relations between Papua New Guinea and Australia and limiting China’s influence in the region (in addition to other Pacific countries), in consideration of China's 2022 policing deal with the Solomon Islands. As part of the deal, Papua New Guinea are unable to sign into security agreements with any nation outside the "Pacific Family".

If Australia deem Papua New Guinea to be in breach of this security pact, they reserve the right to withdraw funding for the team: in that case, the NRL would be required to remove Papua New Guinea from the competition.[14][15][16]

Logo and colours

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The PNG team will run a national competition to choose a team name, logo and colours that reflect the entire nation.[17]

Officials did consider using the Hunters moniker currently used by the PNG Queensland Cup side, however it will be one of multiple options in the public vote.[18]

Stadium

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National Football Stadium will be the home of the PNG team

National Football Stadium, known by the sponsored name of Santos National Football Stadium,[19] is a sporting ground in Port Moresby. It will be the home ground for the PNG team and the Papua New Guinea national rugby league team. It has a total capacity of approximately 15,000 and is the National Stadium of Papua New Guinea. The stadium was completely redeveloped in preparation for the 2015 Pacific Games.[19]

References

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  1. ^ "What you need to know about the ARLC Pacific Rugby League Partnership". National Rugby League. 12 December 2024. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  2. ^ Walter, Brad (12 December 2024). "United in the stands: PNG NRL team to transform region". National Rugby League. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "ARLC and Federal Government confirm historic Pacific Rugby League Partnership". National Rugby League. 12 December 2024. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  4. ^ a b Knott, Matthew; Proszenko, Adrian; Chammas, Michael (12 December 2024). "Australia signs $600m deal to create PNG NRL team; further expansion could be 'weeks away'". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  5. ^ Hadfield, Dave (8 October 1995). "Island gods high in a dream world". The Independent. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  6. ^ Gock, Kamin (18 December 2023). "Inside Papua New Guinea's bid to become the 18th team in the NRL". ABC News Australia. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  7. ^ Waide, Scott (13 December 2024). "PNG's NRL prophets preach hope and jobs for future talent, but not everyone is convinced". ABC Pacific. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  8. ^ Watts, Cameron; Yallop, Rania (12 December 2024). "Packing more than the usual muscle: PNG gets NRL's 18th team". SBS News. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  9. ^ "'Western Bears': North Sydney Bears back in hunt for NRL return after secret talks with WA group". Sydney Morning Herald. 22 February 2018. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  10. ^ Harriman, Bethanie (4 November 2023). "An NRL team could be on the horizon for PNG — but some are worried the country isn't ready". ABC Australia.
  11. ^ "Peter V'landys pushes new tax-free plan for rugby franchise in Papua New Guinea". The Greek Herald. 22 February 2024. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  12. ^ https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/ray-dibb-appointed-chair-of-papua-new-guinea-nrl-franchise-full-sevenperson-board-revealed/news-story/44f781d5f0eced1527fe40c9cc254e02
  13. ^ https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/ray-dibb-appointed-chair-of-papua-new-guinea-nrl-franchise-full-sevenperson-board-revealed/news-story/44f781d5f0eced1527fe40c9cc254e02
  14. ^ Snape, Jack (2024-12-12). "Inside PNG's NRL deal: how the licence was won and what comes next". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  15. ^ "Australia-PNG rugby deal signed to curb China influence". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  16. ^ Dziedzic, Stephen (12 December 2024). "Australia, PNG unveil deal for Papua New Guinea team to enter NRL in 2028". ABC News Australia. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  17. ^ https://www.nrl.com/news/2024/12/12/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-arlcs-pacific-rugby-league-partnership/
  18. ^ https://www.nrl.com/news/2025/06/25/the-next-penrith-png-nrl-team-tipped-for-early-success/
  19. ^ a b "PNG National Football Stadium". Populous. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
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