Prime Minister Hon. James Marape has affirmed that the PNG Chiefs’ historic entry into the Australian National Rugby League in 2028 is far more than a sporting milestone, describing it as a National Unification Strategy and a powerful platform for deeper Pacific partnership, peace, tourism and economic opportunity.
Prime Minister Marape made the remarks today following a Meeting with PNG Chiefs Board Members and Executives at Melanesian Haus, where discussions focused on the Club’s preparations for its 2028 NRL entry, player recruitment, accommodation and facilities, fan ownership, city readiness and the wider social and economic opportunities that will flow from Papua New Guinea’s participation in the world’s leading Rugby League competition. The Meeting heard that preparations are progressing strongly, with further Player Signings expected shortly as the PNG Chiefs continue to build a competitive and representative squad for their inaugural NRL season. Prime Minister Marape said the PNG Chiefs must become a team that brings together not only Papua New Guineans, but also the wider Pacific rugby league family, including players and supporters from Australia, New Zealand, Far North Queensland and the Pacific Island nations. “The future is constructed by the present,” Prime Minister Marape said. “What we are doing today in preparing the PNG Chiefs is not only about entering the NRL in 2028. We are constructing a future for our young people, our country and our Pacific region. Rugby league is already the greatest unifying force in Papua New Guinea. Now, through the PNG Chiefs, it can become an even stronger bridge between Papua New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand and our fellow Pacific Island countries.”
Prime Minister Marape said the PNG Chiefs would carry a larger Regional purpose by using the power of sport to promote unity, friendship, respect and peace across the Pacific. He said Papua New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand were major partners in the Pacific region, alongside the smaller island nations, and Rugby League offered a practical and meaningful avenue through which people could come together beyond politics, geography and historical differences. “The Pacific has challenges, but it also has enormous promise,” Prime Minister Marape said. “We must find ways to bring our people together, especially our young people. Sport has that power. Rugby league has that power. The PNG Chiefs can be a vehicle for peace, for unity, for opportunity and for a stronger Pacific family.” The Prime Minister said the Club’s player pathway and recruitment strategy should reflect the inclusive Pacific character of the franchise, while maintaining a strong Papua New Guinean identity at its heart. He said eligible Players from Papua New Guinea, the Pacific Islands, Far North Queensland and other Rugby League communities could all contribute to the success of the PNG Chiefs, provided they understood and respected the vision of representing a Nation and Region through the Club.
Prime Minister Marape said PNG’s extraordinary Cultural Diversity was not a weakness but one of the country’s greatest strengths, and the NRL entry would provide an unprecedented opportunity to showcase the country’s people, culture, landscapes, hospitality and tourism potential to Australia, the Pacific and the world. “Papua New Guinea is one of the most culturally diverse countries on earth,” he said. “Our diversity is our strength. Through the PNG Chiefs, millions of people in Australia and beyond will see our culture, our hospitality, our natural beauty and the potential of our people. This is why the NRL Strategy must be connected to tourism, investment, small and medium enterprises, hospitality, aviation, transport, infrastructure and job creation.”
The Meeting also discussed progress on plans for the PNG Chiefs Village or compound in Port Moresby, which will provide accommodation and support facilities for players, officials, staff and their families. Prime Minister Marape welcomed plans for essential family-oriented facilities within the development, including a school to cater for the children of players, officials and other residents, as well as other services required to support a professional sporting environment. He said the development must become a model community which demonstrates that Papua New Guinea is ready to host elite sporting professionals and their families in a safe, modern and well-supported environment. “We are not just building accommodation for athletes,” Prime Minister Marape said. “We are building a home for a professional sporting family. We are building a community where players, officials, wives, husbands and children can live, learn, work and prosper. This must show the world that Port Moresby and Papua New Guinea are ready for the PNG Chiefs and ready for the opportunities that will come with the NRL.”
Prime Minister Marape said discussions also covered preparations by the National Capital District Commission for Port Moresby to accommodate the anticipated increase in Visitors travelling between Papua New Guinea and Australia when the PNG Chiefs enter the NRL in 2028. He said the city must be prepared for greater demand for hotels, lodges, bed-and-breakfast facilities, restaurants, transport services, entertainment, tourism experiences and other visitor services. The Prime Minister said the expected growth in sporting tourism and business activity should encourage responsible private-sector investment in Port Moresby’s skyline, accommodation sector and wider urban development. “As the PNG Chiefs take the field in 2028, Port Moresby must also rise to the occasion,” he said. “We expect more Visitors from Australia, from the Pacific and from within our own country. This means more rooms, more hospitality businesses, more transport services, more small businesses and more opportunities for ordinary Papua New Guineans. The PNG Chiefs will not only play Rugby League. They will help stimulate an entire sporting, tourism and business economy.”
Prime Minister Marape also welcomed discussions on expanding the PNG Chiefs’ support base through membership, subscription and shareholding opportunities for Papua New Guineans. He said the Club must belong to the people of Papua New Guinea, including ordinary citizens who want to support the franchise through membership, subscriptions and responsible financial participation. “The PNG Chiefs must be the people’s Club,” Prime Minister Marape said. “Every Papua New Guinean who loves Rugby League must be able to feel that this is their Team. Whether you live in Port Moresby, Alotau, Daru, Wewak, Kimbe, Mt Hagen, Vanimo, Buka, Lae, Rabaul or anywhere else, the PNG Chiefs must represent you. We want our people to support the Club emotionally, spiritually and financially where they can. This must be a national movement, not only a sporting organisation.”
Prime Minister Marape commended the PNG Chiefs Board, Executives, Technical Staff and Partners for the progress being made in the lead-up to 2028. He said the Government would continue working with the PNG Chiefs, NCDC, sporting authorities, the private sector, tourism and hospitality operators, and development partners to ensure the country is prepared to make the most of this historic opportunity. The PNG Chiefs are expected to enter the NRL in 2028 as Papua New Guinea’s first Team in the competition, opening a new chapter for Rugby League, national identity and Pacific cooperation. “This is the beginning of something much bigger than a football team,” Prime Minister Marape said. “It is a statement that Papua New Guinea is ready, that our people are talented, that our culture is strong, that our capital city is growing and that our Pacific future can be built on unity, friendship and shared opportunity.”