PRIME MINISTER James Marape says his government’s goal is to ensure that when the Papua New Guinea Chiefs run onto the field for their inaugural NRL match in 2028, the team will be competitive and capable of matching the very best.
After his return from the annual PNG-Australia’s Leaders Dialogue in Brisbane, Marape said the meeting reaffirmed the importance of building PNG Chiefs on a strong foundation of grassroots development, merit-based selection and long-term sustainability.
“We do not want to put a team together simply for the sake of having a team. We want the best possible line-up for our inaugural season,” Marape said.
He said players of Papua New Guinean heritage certainly receive fair consideration, but every selection will be based on merit and a transformational investment in the future of rugby league.
So far three NRL players have signed for PNG Chiefs and three players of PNG heritage from London Broncos will finalize their contracts for the PNG team.
The Australian Government is also committing a A$250 million to help develop sports in the region through the Pacific Rugby League Partnership which covers Papua New Guinea.
At the Leaders Meeting in Brisbane, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met with Prime Minister Marape and leaders from Samoa and Tonga where they launched the new partnership.
Chairman of the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC), Peter V’landys and representatives from a number of Pacific rugby league federations were present when the new partnership deal was signed.
This is part of a bigger Australian investment in the sports code that includes the A$600 million investment in rugby that supports the entry of the Papua New Guinea Chiefs into the NRL in 2028.
Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese said the new partnership, aims to strengthen the link between sport and opportunities in education, leadership and employment.
“The Pacific Rugby League Partnership is about far more than a game, it’s an investment in people as much as it is sport. Through one of Australia’s favorite sporting codes, we are bringing our Pacific family closer together,” said Albanese.
Prime Minister Marape welcomed the Australian Government’s commitment of approximately A$250 million for the next 10 years, emphasizing the program will strengthen schoolboys’ and schoolgirls’ rugby league pathways across Papua New Guinea and the Pacific.
“Over the next decade, school competitions will become the pathway into elite rugby league. That is where future Chiefs players will be discovered and developed,” said Marape.
Australian Minister for Pacific Island Affairs, Pat Conroy said for decades we watched talented players from the Pacific, star in the NRL, and in more recent years the National Rugby League for Women (NRLW).
“The Pacific Rugby League Partnership will support player development at the same time as increasing school attendance and promoting healthy lifestyles and respectful relationships,” said Convoy.
The Pacific Rugby League Partnership has three main pillars – community and grassroots, pathways and academies, and elite and international.
Early initiatives of the partnership include:
- Expanding existing youth engagement and violence prevention programs to reach more communities.
- Establishing primary and high school competitions in Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Samoa and Fiji, supported by a network of teachers accredited as coaches.
- Setting up programs in each country to promote girls’ competitions.
•Building men’s and women’s national competitions across age groups. - Continuing to deliver Pacific Championship matches and identify opportunities for NRL and NRLW matches to be played in the Pacific
