Everything you need to know about Papua New Guinea’s NRL team: finance, signings, location..

It’s official: Papua New Guinea will have a team in the NRL from 2028 and beyond.

After months of speculation, the franchise has now been given the seal of approval – with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape standing together in Sydney on December 11 to announce the news that PNG will have a team playing in the NRL from 2028.

The new Papua New Guinea team will enter the competition in the years ahead, as either the 18th or 19th team dependent on the plans for expansion into Western Australia.

Here, Love Rugby League brings you everything you need to know about the NRL’s new team in Papua New Guinea…

When they will play in the NRL?

2028 will be their debut season, so they have now got just over three years to sort a range of things: from building a squad with coaches to even coming up with an official club name as well as their playing kits and so on.

Their long-term plan also includes the introduction of an NRLW side at some point in the future.

Plenty of work to be done, of course, but they’ve got just over three years to get everything sorted.

Why is the NRL expanding into Papua New Guinea?

PNG is one of only two countries in the world where rugby league is the national sport – the other being the Cook Islands.

The Kumuls regularly sell-out their international matches on home soil – with fans turning out in droves to watch the Kumuls play.

The move will allow the NRL to connect with a supporter base of more than 10 million people, many of whom already know what rugby league is and are fans of the game.

PNG has also formed a talent pathway and large playing base: and the new team provides an opportunity to achieve their NRL dream without being forced to move to Australia.

What are the team’s name, logo and colours?

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

Who will play for the team?

The team is likely to be made up of existing NRL and Super League players, emerging talent and local products. The club will use the next three years to assemble a competitive roster – with players born in PNG or with PNG heritage set to be a priority.

Where will they be based?

The side will be based in Port Moresby, the country’s capital – with a purpose-built village for the club to be based in.

The PNG national team have played the majority of their home games at Santos National Stadium in Port Moresby in recent years, regularly selling out their Test matches.

How was PNG’s NRL bid put together?

Papua New Guinea have already produced their own players for a number of years, whilst there is a plethora of talent based in Australia who are of Papua New Guinean heritage.

NRL Bid CEO Andrew Hill and chairman Waqu Sonk were tasked with the job of putting the jigsaw together that would create a structure to thrive in the NRL.

Joe Grima – who played for Swinton, Widnes and Keighley in the 80s and 90s – was brought in to head up the pathways programme.

An academy programme was formed to help bring through the best 15, 17 and 19-year-old players and to expand geographical reach to create training centres throughout the nation.

An annual tournament was then created to allow the country’s most talented youngsters to showcase their skills on a national platform that was televised for the first time.

The success of the new structure was then highlighted when the Junior Kumuls held the Australian Schoolboys to a 22-22 draw in Port Moresby in October.

How much is it costing?

The deal is believed to be as part of a major push from the Australian Government to knock back Chinese influence in the Pacific region, and will come to the cost of around $600million to the Australian taxpayer over the next 10 years.

Players who are signed to the PNG team will be subject to tax breaks that could see them earn significantly more than they would do if they were playing for another NRL team.

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What is being said?

Andrew Hill, the NRL Bid CEO, believes the new Papua New Guinea side has ‘the potential to create the largest fanbase of any other current NRL team’.

“Rugby league in PNG is extremely thankful to both the Papua New Guinea and Australian Governments,” said Hill. “There is no doubt that their support was a game-changer.

“We are also indebted to Peter V’Landys, Andrew Abdo and the ARLC for their vision and commitment to PNG and the Pacific.

“PNG is in the incredible position of being the only country in the world where rugby league is the national game. It brings together people from all backgrounds and locations under one banner.

“When you have a population that can unite behind one cause, it is incredibly powerful, and we have the potential to create the largest fan base of any other current NRL team.”

Meanwhile, NRL Bid chairman Waqu Sonk admits there is a lot of work to be done in regards to preparing the club for their debut NRL campaign: but says the franchise is a chance to showcase the best of Papua New Guinea to the world.

“We can’t wait for the world to see the beauty of this great country and everything that it has to offer,” said Sonk. “It is a chance for our country to showcase itself to the world through a sport that unites the nation.

“This is now the starting point for a lot of hard work. There is much to do to make sure that we are ready to go in 2028, but I am confident that when we run out for our first match, we will be ready and the whole country will be behind us.”

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