Papua New Guinea will reportedly become the NRL’s 19th franchise, with an agreement in principle between the ARLC and the federal government.
That’s according to The Daily Telegraphwho report that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is backing a ten-year, $600 million funding plan to bring PNG into the NRL.
PNG will join the first-tier competition in 2028, following the introduction of the Western Bears just 12 months earlier as the 18th franchise.
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The ARLC is reportedly pleased with the government’s funding, which will see the PNG organization supported by the Australian government until 2037.
The Pacific NRL side will reportedly be announced after the grand final, with a celebration during the Australian Prime Minister XIII’s clash with PNG in Port Moresby.
PNG won’t be the only team to receive funding, with a $60 million license fee to be split between the 17 clubs in the competition prior to their participation.
Each franchise will reportedly bring in around $3.5 million, and Peter V’landys is reportedly currently visiting each club to explain his expansion plans in the coming years.
That leaves $540 million, which will reportedly be spent on setting up and maintaining the PNG franchise once it starts, as in the NRL.
$290 million will be spent on football activities, while the remaining $250 million will reportedly be spent on education and social security in the Pacific country.
Port Moresby will be the headquarters of the new franchise, with a ‘mini-city’ built for rugby league purposes to be built to house the players and their families.
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“This is a game changer for our relationship with Papua New Guinea,” Albanese told News Corp.
“The goal would be for all government funding to be focused on the economic development of schools. It’s not just for the NRL team and paying Alex Johnston to play for PNG.
“We absolutely support the NRL bid and, importantly, Prime Minister (James) Marape in PNG is very much behind an NRL team.
“To have a PNG NRL team we need to get the trajectory and infrastructure right. It is an important part of economic development and youth engagement in PNG.
“This isn’t just about sport itself, it’s about building relationships between people and economic development for PNG, that’s how the government sees it.”
The NRL will also reportedly sit down with the PNG government, with possible tax incentives to entice players to make the move.
