| Club information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Papua New Guinea Chiefs |
| Nickname | Chiefs |
| Short name | PNG |
| Colours | Gold Black |
| Founded | 2024 (To begin playing in 2028) |
| Current details | |
| Ground |
|
| CEO | Andrew Hill[1] |
| Competition | National Rugby League |
ThePapua New Guinea Chiefs are a professionalrugby league football team to be based inPort Moresby,Papua New Guinea. They will compete in Australia'sNational Rugby League from the 2028 season.
The inclusion of a Papua New Guinea-based team in the NRL was announced on 12 December 2024, as part of the Pacific Rugby League Partnership involving theAustralian Rugby League Commission andAustralian Government, in which AU$600 million in government funding will support the new team as well as grassroots development and other community initiatives in Papua New Guinea and thePacific islands.[2][3]
The Chiefs will be the 19th in the NRL, with the ARLC finalising to a $645m deal with theWestern Australian Government on 8 May 2025, thereby securing thePerth Bears as the 18th team: the Bears will enter the competition in 2027.[4]
Rugby league is the most popular sport in Papua New Guinea[5] and even regarded its national sport,[6] and efforts to launch an NRL team in the country date back to 2008, when prime ministerSir Michael Somare announced a Papua New Guinean bid.[7] In 2014, thePapua New Guinea Hunters entered the state levelQueensland Cup competition, going on to win the premiership in 2017.[8]
In February 2021, PNG Prime MinisterJames Marape declared his hopes of an NRL side in the country by 2025.[9] Through 2023 and 2024, a Papua New Guinea bid was viewed as a frontrunner to enter the NRL, in light of anAustralian Government plan to invest $600 million over a 10-year period in rugby league and socio-economic programs in the country.[10] Discussions have included a proposal from ARLC chairmanPeter V'landys to offer tax-free status to rugby league players who played for a Papua New Guinea NRL team.[11]
On 12 December, 2024, a Papua New Guinea team in the NRL was formally announced, with the team planned to begin playing in the league in 2028.[3] The name and colours of the team are yet to be determined.[citation needed]
On 24 June 2025, the ARLC boss Peter V’landys met with PNG Prime Minister James Marape to unveil the new franchise’s seven-person board chaired by former Bulldogs supremo Ray Dib.[12] Dib was unveiled as PNG’s first chair and will head-up a seven-person board that includesMelbourne Storm legendMarcus Bai. The other board members are Lorna McPherson, Richard Pegum, Stan Joyce, Wapu Sonk and Ian Tarutia.[13]
On 12 October 2025, before the Prime Minister's XIII test between Paupa New Guinea and Australia, PNG Prime Minister James Marape announced the franchises name as the 'PNG Chiefs', set be the 19th active franchise to join the National Rugby League from the 2028 season[14]
The Chiefs will be funded by a$600 million package from the Australian government over a ten-year period,[4] as part of the NRL'sPacific Rugby League Partnership which supports and provides investment into grassroots, pathways, and elite rugby league across Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Samoa and Fiji.[3]
In a separate deal, signed in exchange, thePapua New Guinean Government reaffirmed a security pact with Australia aimed at growing relations between Papua New Guinea and Australia and limiting China’s influence in the region (in addition to other Pacific countries), in consideration of China's 2022 policing deal with theSolomon Islands. As part of the deal, Papua New Guinea are unable to sign into security agreements with any nation outside the "Pacific Family".
If Australia deem Papua New Guinea to be in breach of this security pact, they reserve the right to withdraw funding for the team: in that case, the NRL would be required to remove the Chiefs from the competition.[15][16][17]
The PNG team ran a national competition to choose a team name, logo and colours that reflect the entire nation.[18]
Officials did consider using theHunters moniker currently used by the PNGQueensland Cup side, however it came down to the public to vote.[19]
On 12 October 2025, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape, announced that the new PNG team to enter the NRL in 2028 will be known as thePNG Chiefs - a name with cultural significance for men and women. Two names were shortlisted: Pythons and Chiefs. However, the Chiefs had particular appeal for the PNG team as the term Chief can be equally applied to a male or female leader in Papua New Guinea.[20] The PNG board still need to finalise a logo and colours.[21]
National Football Stadium, known by the sponsored name ofSantos National Football Stadium,[22] is a sporting ground inPort Moresby. It will be the home ground for the Chiefs and thePapua New Guinea national rugby league team. It has a total capacity of approximately 15,000 and is the National Stadium of Papua New Guinea. The stadium was completely redeveloped in preparation for the2015 Pacific Games.[22]
| Federation | |
|---|---|
| National Teams | |
| Australian competition and Other teams | |
| Domestic Competitions | |
| PNG NRL Teams | |
| Previous Clubs |
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| PNGNRL Seasons | |
