NRL expansion progress as PNG in spotlight for dedicated Pacifika team

An 18th team will be added to the NRL competition, with Papua New Guinea now a strong contender to host a new team in a major sporting and diplomatic win for the region.

Assistant Trade Minister Tim Ayres and ARL Commissioner Kate Jones on a trade delegation in Papua New Guinea with kids practising rugby league. Picture: Supplied

One of rugby league’s top leaders has held talks in Port Moresby with local football officials as expectations grow that Papua New Guinea could host a new Pasifika team in the NRL.

Australian Rugby League Commissioner Kate Jones joined a trade mission to PNG last week at the invitation of the federal government, and has returned positive about the progress being made.

Ms Jones, a former Queensland state government minister, singled out the work being undertaken to ensure the Pacific Islands had a strong pipeline to bring young local talent into the competition.

“If a licence was granted on passion alone PNG would be a frontrunner, but there is still a lot of work to do,” Ms Jones said.

“The chairman Peter V’landys has made it very clear that it is now ‘when’ rather than ‘if’ there will be an 18th team in the NRL, but what that looks like is still to be determined.

“The undertaking I’ve made on behalf of the commission is that I will continue to work closely with PNG NRL and our Pacific neighbours on expansion.

“We need to go through all of the steps that any team established has long term sustainability.”

ARL Commissioner Kate Jones says the passion for NRL in PNG is undeniable. Picture: Che Chorley

Ms Jones said the next step for the commission was to work on plans with the government and PNG officials to identify the challenges in bringing a team to the Pacific and how to address those.

“We intend to have another meeting with the federal government in coming weeks to discuss some of the issues that we’ve been working through,” she said.

Adding a PNG team to the NRL would also be a diplomatic coup for Australia, as the nation seeks to strengthen ties with Pacific neighbours.

No specific money was allocated in the May budget for a PNG team bid, but $89.5m was set aside over four years to “deepen Pacific connections by strengthening cultural and people-to-people ties with the region and promote shared values”.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is known to have privately advocated the use of the foreign aid budget to help fund his plans for “rugby league diplomacy” as Australia tries to head of China’s push into the Pacific.

It has already been announced that Australia will provide $220,000 toward establishing establish reciprocal school boys and girls rugby league tours between the two countries.

In addition to developing talent pipelines and local coaching expertise, it is understood security concerns for players travelling to games in Port Moresby are also being worked through.

Girls in PNG practising NRL during Australian trade delegation visit to the Pacific Island. Picture: Supplied

Former Queensland Liberal MP Michael Johnson, who grew up in PNG and has advocated for an expanded team for two decades, said all NRL players were “worshipped” and locals would “protect them like their bodyguards” if they visited.

“NRL is in PNG’s DNA,” he said.

“It’s more than just a sport, it’s a religion.”

Mr Johnson said a Pacific team would “forever” lock in security ties between Australia and PNG.

“That is how powerful rugby league can be,” he said.

Mr Johnson said he still visited PNG for work and had observed despite the influx of Chinese investors in the country, cultural ties with locals were not strong.

“An NRL team would tie PNG to the Australian way of life … and more importantly our security lens,” he said.

Pacific Minister Pat Conroy said he could not think of a single thing that would bring the countries closer than a PNG side playing in Australia’s NRL.

“We want to see a PNG team in the NRL and that’s something we can work towards,” he said.

Originally published as NRL expansion progress as PNG in spotlight for dedicated Pacifika team