Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced the Australian Government’s support for a Papua New Guinea (PNG) rugby league team to join the National Rugby League (NRL) competition by 2028.
Speaking on X, Albanese highlighted the shared passion for rugby league between Australia and PNG, describing the new team as a symbol of unity and a deepening of the nations’ strategic and cultural partnership.
“The new team will belong to the people of Papua New Guinea. It will call Port Moresby home and have millions of proud fans barracking for it from day one.”
The announcement marks a significant milestone as PNG approaches its 50th anniversary of independence in 2025. It reflects the growing people-to-people links, economic opportunities, and shared strategic trust between the two neighbours.
The partnership between the Australian and PNG Governments, alongside the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC), goes beyond establishing an NRL team. It also includes a Pacific Rugby League Partnership aimed at strengthening grassroots and elite rugby league across the region, including PNG, Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga.
This initiative will foster pathways for boys and girls, and women and men, to play rugby league while promoting gender equality, youth leadership, health, and education outcomes. It also aims to develop opportunities for women’s rugby league, including plans for a PNG Women’s team to compete in one of Australia’s premier state competitions.
Prime Minister James Marape of PNG called the announcement a “national unifier,” emphasising the sport’s role in uniting PNG’s diverse cultures while strengthening ties with Australia.
“This one team will be for one people, one country, one nation. Rugby league is more than a game – it is a symbol of unity and mutual respect.”
The establishment of a PNG NRL team is expected to bring significant economic benefits to both nations through infrastructure investment and boosts to the sports and tourism sectors. The broader Pacific Rugby League Partnership will also complement Australia’s existing sports development programs in the region, which include netball, rugby union, Aussie rules, and cricket.
As Albanese remarked,
“A Papua New Guinea NRL team is a game-changer for Australia’s relationship with PNG and a unifying force – no two countries have a greater passion for rugby league.”
With the NRL expansion set to make history, this partnership is poised to further solidify the enduring bonds between Australia and PNG, symbolising their commitment to regional peace, prosperity, and shared opportunity.
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