Prime Minister Hon. James Marape says the Papua New Guinea Chiefs must be built on merit, strong junior development and long-term sustainability as the country prepares to enter the National Rugby League (NRL) competition in 2028.
Speaking at a press conference today after returning from Brisbane, where he attended the Australia–Papua New Guinea Annual Leaders’ Dialogue with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister Marape said discussions during the visit reaffirmed the importance of building the PNG Chiefs on a strong foundation of grassroots development, merit-based selection and long-term sustainability.
“Our goal is not simply to field a team in 2028. Our goal is to ensure that when the Chiefs run onto the field for their inaugural NRL match, they are competitive and capable of matching the very best,” Prime Minister Marape said.
“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. Players of Papua New Guinean heritage will certainly receive fair consideration, but every selection must be based on merit.”
Prime Minister Marape welcomed the Australian Government’s commitment of approximately A$250 million over the next 10 years to strengthen schoolboys’ and schoolgirls’ rugby league pathways across Papua New Guinea and the Pacific.
“This is a transformational investment in the future of rugby league.
“It is about developing young boys and girls through organised school competitions so that talent is identified early, nurtured properly and given a clear pathway to elite rugby league.
“I want to encourage every young Papua New Guinean who dreams of wearing the Chiefs jersey one day to stay in school and be part of the school rugby league system.
“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.”
Prime Minister Marape said the Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League would work closely with schools, provincial associations and regional partners to ensure the Chiefs were supported by one of the strongest player development systems in the Pacific.
“The investment in junior rugby league will benefit not only the Chiefs but the wider Pacific region, and Papua New Guinea will become one of the major breeding grounds for rugby league talent.
“I give my full commitment that Papua New Guinea will build one of the strongest school rugby league systems in the Pacific to ensure a sustainable pipeline of talent for the Chiefs and our national teams.”
Prime Minister Marape later thanked the Australian Government, the National Rugby League and the PNG Chiefs leadership for their warm hospitality and continued commitment to supporting Papua New Guinea’s successful entry into the NRL in 2028.