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The NRL will expand to include an 18th team based in in Papua New Guinea from 2028 as part of a wide-ranging 10-year partnership between the Australian and PNG governments.

As PNG prepares to mark its 50th anniversary of independence in 2025, the partnership with the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) is part of a wider ‘soft diplomacy’ move by the Australian Government aimed at ensuring wider ties between the two nations.

After months of speculation, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape announced the partnership in Sydney today, with ARLC Chairman Peter V’Landys also in attendance.

The announcement also saw the launch of a separate Australia-Papua New Guinea Bilateral Security Agreement that will serve as a legally binding framework for closer security relations between the two nations.

With rugby league PNG’s national sport and a significant unifying factor in the country, will come as part of a public investment deal worth to which the Australian Government will contribute $600 million and the PNG Government $150 million.

As well as supporting the introduction of an NRL team, the partnership will facilitate investment into grassroots, pathways and elite rugby league across Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Samoa and Fiji.

Explaining the significance of the announcement, V’landys stated “this is an historic step for rugby league, Australia, PNG and the entire Pacific.

“Rugby league is the number one sport in the Pacific. This new club will solidify rugby league’s role as the unifying language of our region.

“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.

“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-plus 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.

Andrew Hill, Chief Executive of the PNG NRL bid, added “PNG is in the incredible position of being the only country in the world where rugby league is the national game. It brings together people from all backgrounds and locations under one banner. When you have a population that can unite behind one cause, it is incredibly powerful, and we have the potential to create the largest fan base of any other current NRL team.”

With announcements to follow on what the team will named and where it will play its home matches, it has been confirmed that the new team will be based in the capital city of Port Moresby.

While it will likely include a majority of local players to encourage pathways in the game, established stars are to be offered significant tax breaks to relocate to Port Moresby

In addition, the ABC has reported that the deal includes a clause that will allow the Federal Government to withdraw its funding to Papua New Guinea if the latter breaches its security commitment with Australia. It is claimed that the NRL would be obligated to immediately terminate the franchise if there was such a breach.

Pacific Rugby League Partnership
The Australian Government will also partner with the ARLC on a Pacific Rugby League Partnership for girls and boys, and women and men to play rugby league from the grassroots to the elite level across PNG, Fiji, Samoa and Tonga.

This Partnership will use rugby league to help increase school retention, promote positive health and nutrition, build gender equality and foster youth leadership.

It will invest in girls’ and women’s rugby league across the region, cultivating pathways and new opportunities, and work toward including a PNG Women’s team in one of Australia’s premier state competitions.

This will build on Australia’s existing investments in sports development across the Pacific - which include programs for netball, rugby union, AFL and cricket - and complement Australia’s broader development partnerships in the region.

Australia and PNG are to host the next Rugby League World Cup.

Images: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape and ARLC Chairman Peter V’Landys at today's announcement of the 18th NRL franchise (top, credit: Anthony Albanese/X) and Port Moresby's Sir John Guise Stadium - a potential home venue for the new team (below).

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