The NRL, as well as the Australian and Papua New Guinean federal government have confirmed expansion of the competition will head to Port Moresby.
Long rumoured, the Australian government will bank roll the team, as well as a Pacific Rugby League partnership that will benefit nations all around the Pacific in a historic ten-year partnership.
The Papua New Guinea federal government are also contributing financially to the project, which will allow infrastructure to be built including a security compound for players accomodation, and a high performance centre.
The team in Papua New Guinea will join the competition in 2028 when the competition's new TV deal commences.
“Roughly half the funding in this historic agreement with the Federal Government will go to grassroots football and community programs in PNG. It will also flow across the Pacific, including to Fiji, Tonga and Samoa," Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V'Landys said in a statement.
“The Pacific Rugby League Partnership will help improve school retention, foster national cohesion, and provide opportunities for young people to be their best selves. We know when rugby league is on the curriculum, kids go to school – and that changes lives.
“Rugby league isn't just sport, it's a social force for good – a way to improve lives and build stronger communities.
“The new PNG team provides the NRL with a new 10 million+ audience many who will go from being causal fans into engaged fans.
“Just as importantly the pathways investments will provide many new and exciting players to the game.
“I thank Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, PNG Prime Minister James Marape, Pat Conroy and their respective governments for having the vision to understand rugby league's unique capacity to bind and build communities.”
The announcement, made by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and PNG Prime Minister James Marape on Thursday morning, also confirmed there will be financial incentives for players making the switch to the Port Moresby-based team - namely that their income will be tax free.
The team joining the competition will mean the competition moves to 18 teams in 2028, adding a ninth game per round, and removing the bye from the competition.
PNG win the race for the NRL's 18th licence ahead of bids in Perth, New Zealand and Queensland, although V'Landys and NRL CEO Andrew Abdo have both also made comment that they want to see the competition to expand to 20 teams in the near future, leaving the door open for some of those bids to still be alive.
The Rugby League Players Association have hinted they would also be willing to bend the November 1 deadline for players coming off-contract at the end of 2027 to sign early with the team, where building a squad will be as large of a challenge as the NRL have faced in recent years.
The announcement also came with a bilateral security announcement being announced between Australia and Papua New Guinea.
Albanese said Papua New Guinea could become the greatest rugby league pipeline for talent the game has ever seen.
“What this is about isn't just the elite level. This is about the grassroots level, it's about economic development, it's about our relationship between our peoples,” Albanese said during the announcement.
“The Penrith Panthers have been successful in having a pipeline of juniors coming through that then feeds into other clubs. This is the greatest rugby league pipeline potential on Earth, bar none.
“This is a pipeline where if you look at the number of total players playing in the NRL compared to PNG, PNG is underrepresented because of economic development issues and opportunity.
“Once you bring in that economic development junior pathways and opportunity you will have, I have no doubt … they will be a powerhouse in the national rugby league with homegrown players.”
Marape also moved to squash any issues around security concerns in the island nation.
“It's a total lifestyle transformation for PNG and Port Moresby. Port Moresby will be cleaner and better, and ready to host international games from 2028,” Marape said.
“I bet my life on this. bet my life on this. It's in our own national interest to get this right, it's a three-year window and we want to get the players (to PNG NRL side).”
Papua New Guinea is the only nation on Earth where rugby league is the national sport.
