AUSTRALIAN Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has come out strongly in favour of a Papua New Guinea NRL franchise, as International Rugby League (IRL) officials explore proposals to consolidate the growing profile of Rugby League in the region.
And there is some talk of having a World Cup based largely in the South Pacific as early as 2029.
Albanese was the first overseas leader to address Papua New Guinea’s parliament last week after he had suggested a PNG NRL side before leaving the Australian capital Canberra.
Papua New Guinea officials have also expressed interest in staging the 2027 and 2031 World Cup Nines, or a 2029 World Cup tournament staged throughout the Pacific.
“I’m very keen to see a Rugby League team participate in the NRL that would be based in Papua New Guinea and involve our Pacific Island friends,” Albanese said last week.
“That’s something that we’ve had discussions about and I’ve discussed with the National Rugby League. There are no greater friends than Australia and Papua New Guinea.”
NRL officials are contemplating expanding the NRL to an 18-team competition, with the Brisbane-based Dolphins entering this year’s competition as its 17th team.
A second New Zealand franchise, alongside the Warriors, and the return of a West Australian club to be based in Perth have long been considered the front runners for expansion.
IRL Chairman Troy Grant welcomed Albanese’s interest, as the IRL plans a 12-year schedule of Test football.
Confirmation of the international calendar is not expected until March, given the complications linked to a collective bargaining agreement between the NRL and the Rugby League Players’ Association, which has yet to be signed off.
“It’s very possible to see elements of that ’29 World Cup in Samoa, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, there’s just so much growth in that Pacific region,” Grant told the Sydney Morning Herald.
“Stadia, accommodation and the cost of travel are the obvious big issues, and we have to make sure the Cup makes money, of course. If it falls flat, then we’ve got nothing to reinvest back into the game and these growing areas.
“But PNG is a genuine option, given they’ve already hosted World Cup games [in 2017] and definitely have the capacity for it. The colour and magic of Rugby League in Papua New Guinea – the only country where it’s the national sport in the world – that’s such an exciting option, as is the Pacific in general.”
This article comes from this week’s issue of League Express. You can take out a subscription by going to https://www.totalrl.com/league-express/
