NRL chief Andrew Abdo has flagged a significant increase in top-level games being played in Papua New Guinea – including a historic maiden NRL game – ahead of the code’s long-term expansion into the rugby league-mad nation.
With extensive negotiations around the Australian government’s $600 million, 10-year funding plan for an NRL side in PNG edging toward an official announcement, Abdo joined politicians from both nations in Port Moresby on Sunday for the annual Prime Minister’s XIII clash against a Papua New Guinean invitational side.
ARL chairman Peter V’landys has led the push for a PNG team as part of the federal government’s ‘soft-diplomacy’ strategy in the Pacific amid regional competition from China, with what would be a 19th NRL side expected to be granted a licence for entry into the 2028 competition.
While negotiations with the Western Bears consortium to be the game’s 18th club broke down in spectacular fashion …