National Rugby League (NRL) chief executive officer Andrew Abdo has vowed to increase the number of top level matches being played in Papua New Guinea, including NRL and NRLW games ahead of potential expansion into the country.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported the NRL want to bring elite level games to the rugby league-mad country ahead of the code’s planned expansion to include a team from PNG in the future.
Negotiations around the Australian government’s $600 million (about K1.5 billion/US$381.32 million), 10-year funding plan for an NRL side in PNG are reportedly moving toward an official announcement.
Abdo joined politicians from Australia and PNG in Port Moresby on Sunday for the annual Prime Minister’s 13 clash against a Papua New Guinean invitational side, with the visitors winning 42-20 in an entertaining clash in front of a packed National Football Stadium.
Abdo forecast regular international fixtures, and potentially NRL and NRLW games being played in PNG over the next few years, which would also include the 2026 men’s and women’s World Cups.
PNG are set to host several games in the World Cup, which was originally due to be played in France, as it did in 2017 when the world cup was last held in Australia.
“We want more and more content here, so we’ll be bringing and thinking about more and more games – international games, Test matches and potentially an NRL and NRLW game for sure,” Abdo told The Sydney Morning Herald.
“We’ve put a lot of hard work in, it’s been the culmination of a lot of effort from a lot of people on both sides – Australia and PNG.
“Hopefully (there) is an announcement soon. As you’ve heard our chairman (Peter V’landys) say this is something that is strategically important for the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC).
“Expansion and potentially having a team out of PNG is definitely exciting for the game.”
ARLC chairman Peter V’landys has been a staunch advocate for an NRL team in PNG as part of the federal government’s ‘soft-diplomacy’ strategy in the Pacific amid regional competition from China.
PNG are expected to be named the 19th NRL side and granted a licence for entry into the 2028 competition. The Western Bears consortium that was set to be the NRL’s 18th club broke down last week, but PNG’s bid to join the NRL remains on track.