PNG win Commonwealth Championship

Papua New Guinea has won the inaugural Commonwealth Rugby League Championship, defeating Australia 22-8 in the final of the Nines competition in Cumbernauld.

The tournament is an exhibition sport for the Commonwealth Games, and is likely to have a similar status when the 2018 Commonwealth Games are held on the Gold Coast in Australia.

Wales took the bronze medal, beating Canada 20-8, while Scotland defeated England to finish in fifth place.

The final results of the matches for the play-off positions were as follows:

Gold Medal: PNG 22 Australia 8

Bronze Medal: Wales 20 Canada 8

Fifth place: Scotland 14 England 8

Seventh place: Jamaica 12 South Africa 4

A full report and photos from the tournament will feature in Monday’s edition of Rugby League Express.