Papua New Guinea’s long-awaited dream of competing in the National Rugby League is becoming reality, with the PNG Chiefs preparing to carry the hopes, pride and identity of an entire nation onto rugby league’s biggest stage in 2028.
For generations, rugby league has been far more than a game in Papua New Guinea. It has been a powerful force connecting communities, uniting families and creating a shared identity across the country.
Now, that deep-rooted passion is approaching a historic new chapter.
The PNG Chiefs are set to enter the NRL in 2028, marking a significant milestone for Papua New Guinea and the wider Pacific region. Based in Port Moresby, the club will play its home matches at the National Football Stadium, giving the country a permanent presence in one of the world’s premier rugby league competitions.
The journey to this moment has taken decades of dedication, ambition and belief.
FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS TO A NATIONAL OBSESSION
Rugby league arrived in Papua New Guinea during the 1930s, introduced by Australian prospectors working in the country during the gold rush. The game gained further momentum during and after the Second World War, when Australian military personnel helped spread its popularity.
What began as an imported sport gradually became woven into the fabric of Papua New Guinean society.
The establishment of the Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League in 1949 provided the game with a more organised structure, helping fuel its growth across communities and laying the foundations for future generations of players.
In 1974, PNG gained international recognition through membership of the Rugby League International Federation. The following year, the national team hosted Great Britain in its first Test match, a landmark occasion despite a 40–12 defeat.
The result mattered less than the significance of the occasion. Papua New Guinea had taken another important step towards establishing itself on the international rugby league stage.
THE HUNTERS OPEN A NEW PATHWAY
For decades, the dream of seeing a Papua New Guinean club compete at the highest professional level remained an ambition rather than a reality.
That began to change in 2013 with the establishment of the PNG Hunters.
Competing in Queensland’s Intrust Super Cup, the Hunters provided Papua New Guinean players with a professional pathway and gave supporters another team to rally behind.
The club became an important bridge between domestic rugby league and the professional game, demonstrating that Papua New Guinea could develop players capable of competing against established Australian sides.
The Hunters’ emergence helped strengthen the argument for a greater PNG presence in elite rugby league.
But the ultimate ambition was always bigger: a place in the NRL.
THE NRL DREAM BECOMES REALITY
The push for an NRL franchise gathered renewed political momentum in 2021 when Prime Minister James Marape publicly expressed his ambition to bring an NRL team to Papua New Guinea.
On 12 December 2024, that long-standing aspiration took a decisive step forward.
The Australian and Papua New Guinea governments, alongside the Australian Rugby League Commission, announced an agreement granting Papua New Guinea an NRL licence for the 2028 season.
The announcement represented a major turning point for the country’s sporting future, opening the door for PNG to compete regularly against some of the biggest clubs and players in the game.
The appointment of the club’s inaugural board in June 2025 provided another foundation for the project, allowing the organisation to advance its preparations for entry into the competition.
However, securing an NRL licence was only the beginning. The next challenge was building a club that could represent the country with distinction, both on and off the field.
THE BIRTH OF THE PNG CHIEFS
On 12 October 2025, the franchise officially unveiled its identity as the PNG Chiefs following a national naming campaign that attracted more than 20,000 submissions.
The name was selected for its cultural significance, reflecting leadership, respect and unity within Papua New Guinean communities.
It was a defining moment in the club’s development, giving supporters a name and identity around which to unite.
For a country where rugby league inspires extraordinary passion, the Chiefs represent more than a new sporting franchise. They embody a national ambition built over generations.
The club’s colours, identity and presence in the NRL will carry expectations extending well beyond the playing field, with supporters eager to see their nation represented at the highest level.
LUAI AND JOHNSTON LEAD THE PLAYER REVOLUTION
The next major milestone came in 2026, when the PNG Chiefs began announcing players who would form part of their inaugural NRL squad.
On 29 April, four-time premiership winner Jarome Luai was announced as the club’s first signing, officially designated Player #001. The Samoan international’s multi-year agreement marked a significant moment in the franchise’s recruitment strategy.
Luai brings considerable experience from rugby league’s biggest stages, along with the leadership and competitive edge expected to help establish a new club in the NRL.
His signing was followed by another landmark announcement involving Alex Johnston.
One of the game’s most prolific try-scorers, Johnston became the first Papua New Guinean player announced as a Chiefs signing, earning the distinction of Player #002.
A former representative of the Papua New Guinea Kumuls, Johnston’s arrival carries particular significance for local supporters. His connection to the country gives the developing squad an important link to the national team and the people the Chiefs will represent.
Together, the signings signal the beginning of a new era as the club works towards assembling a competitive squad for its inaugural campaign.
MORE THAN A FOOTBALL CLUB
The significance of the PNG Chiefs extends beyond results, premiership points and the pursuit of silverware.
The franchise represents an opportunity to strengthen rugby league pathways, inspire young athletes and place Papua New Guinea more firmly on the international sporting map.
With Port Moresby set to host home matches at the National Football Stadium, supporters will have the opportunity to watch their national NRL team compete on home soil.
The club also arrives with enormous expectations. Its success will depend on more than the excitement surrounding its entry into the competition. Strong leadership, effective recruitment, professional standards and long-term development will be essential to building a sustainable NRL organisation.
For aspiring players across the country, the Chiefs could provide a powerful new source of inspiration: proof that the pathway from local fields to the highest level of rugby league is becoming more accessible.
A NATION COUNTS DOWN TO 2028
Papua New Guinea’s journey towards the NRL has been shaped by decades of passion, important milestones and an unwavering belief that the country belongs on rugby league’s biggest stage.
From the sport’s arrival in the 1930s to the rise of the PNG Hunters, and now the creation of the PNG Chiefs, each chapter has helped bring that ambition closer to reality.
The challenge ahead is substantial, but so is the opportunity.
When the Chiefs take the field in 2028, they will carry the expectations of supporters who have waited generations to see their country represented by a homegrown NRL franchise.
For Papua New Guinea, this is more than the arrival of another team.
It is the beginning of a new chapter in the nation’s rugby league history — one built on pride, opportunity and the belief that the best is still to come.
Author: Michael B