PNG’s gov’t funded NRL entry to be announced before Xmas

After more than a few back and forths between Australian Rugby League, the NRL, and the Federal Government – as well as Papua New Guinea respresentatives, of course – PNG has been locked in as a future expansion club.

The new PNG NRL team, which will receive $600 million in government funding from Australia to run, has been rubber stamped behind the scenes and will be announced before Christmas Day.

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The NRL is still hoping to announce PNG and the Perth Bears expansion (which was confirmed a month or so ago) at the same time, The Sporting Base understands, but things are dragging regarding the western bid. The NRL’s bosses are happy to hold fire for a time, but in all likelihood they’ll eventually just be unveiled separately.

Perth is expected to join the NRL in 2027 while PNG will then be welcomed into the fold in the 2028 season. That does require everything to go to plan from here though.

The Base last heard every barrier to entry has been knocked down through to December.

According to Code Sports, who first reported the news, getting the bid over the line has involved “considerable input, finances, and red-tape from two governments,” as well as challenges from Papua New Guinea’s side.

Andrew Hill, who has helmed the PNG bid for some time now, was responsible for getting things wrapped up. Wapu Sonk – managing director of Kumul Petroleum – will likely soon step in as the PNG NRL franchise’s first chairman.

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The PNG Hunters (who may eventually give the NRL organisation their name) has flown the country’s flag in recent years in the Queensland Cup, as have the Junior Kumuls on the national stage.