Prime Minister Hon. James Marape has welcomed the appointment of Ms Lorna McPherson as Chief Executive Officer of Papua New Guinea’s National Rugby League franchise, describing it as a major milestone in the country’s journey towards entering the NRL competition in 2028.
Prime Minister Marape said the appointment marks the transition of PNG’s NRL dream from planning into full operational delivery.
“On behalf of the country, I thank Ms McPherson for taking up this important post. She is a well-known rugby league personality who has been consistently involved in the Digicel Cup for over a decade. She brings steady leadership, a deep understanding of the game and strong connections to both PNG and the NRL,” Prime Minister Marape said.
He said Ms McPherson’s appointment followed the decision of the Australian Rugby League Commission, which has formally appointed her as CEO of the PNG Chiefs, Papua New Guinea’s new NRL franchise.
Ms McPherson brings more than 16 years of commercial and sports leadership experience in Papua New Guinea, having been based in the country and deeply involved in the development of rugby league at every level.
She has served as a Director of the Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League (PNGRFL) and more recently as a Director of the PNG Chiefs, while also holding senior executive roles with Digicel Pacific, where she was Senior Vice-President responsible for Government Relations, Sales, Distribution, Retail and Marketing across PNG. to lead the PNG franchise into the NRL.
Over the past decade, she led the strategic growth of the Digicel ExxonMobil Cup, transforming PNG’s premier rugby league competition into a unifying sporting platform that delivered youth development, community engagement and strong commercial value. She also played a key role in establishing elite women’s rugby league in PNG, including the Santos Cup, strengthening pathways for women into professional sport.
Prime Minister Marape said this background places Ms McPherson in a strong position
“Ms McPherson is a Papua New Guinea-based leader who understands PNG, understands the rugby league family here, and has strong links to Telstra and the NRL through her professional background. That makes her an all-rounder for this role,” he said.
The Prime Minister also commended the PNG NRL Franchise Board, under the leadership of Chairman Mr Ray Dip, and acknowledged the critical role played by the National Rugby League in reaching this milestone.
“I want to commend Chairman Ray Dip for his leadership and understanding of the process that has delivered this result. I also thank NRL Chairman Mr Peter V’landys, NRL CEO Mr Andrew Abdo, and the entire NRL for their support in ensuring this milestone has been reached,” Prime Minister Marape said.
Prime Minister Marape said the appointment of a CEO now allows the franchise to move into full delivery mode.
“Having a CEO in place means the Board can now get to work in building the business structure that will support both the sporting and commercial sides of the franchise. This is about ensuring we are fully ready when PNG runs onto the field in 2028 — not just as a team, but as a professionally run sporting organisation,” he said.
He emphasised that Papua New Guinea intends to be competitive from day one.“We are not entering the NRL just to make up the numbers. We want a solid system that attracts quality players, coaches and technical staff, and that allows us to compete from game one and beyond,” Prime Minister Marape said.
The Prime Minister reaffirmed the Government’s full backing for the project.“My Government stands ready to work with Ms McPherson, the Board and the NRL to ensure every box is ticked in preparation for a successful entry into the competition. This is a major step forward in turning PNG’s NRL dream into reality,” he said.