PNG’s Rugby League Dream Battles Crime, Chaos, and China

The chairman of Papua New Guinea’s Hunters feeder team weighs in on the challenges of setting up a professional sporting team in PNG.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (R) reacts as Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister James Marape speaks during a press conference in Sydney, Australia, on Dec. 12, 2024. David Gray/AFP via Getty Images

Chair of the Papua New Guinea (PNG) Hunters, Stan Joyce, says the Australian government’s $600 million (US$373 million) agreement to fund a top-tier National Rugby League (NRL) side in PNG could be game-changing, but admits the challenges are plentiful.

The announcement last year by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his PNG counterpart James Marape taps into the country’s national fervour for rugby league, in the hopes it can bind Australia and PNG closer and keep Beijing out.