The Australian taxpayer will fork out $600 million for a new NRL team in PNG. It is a bold, expensive and untried sports diplomacy adventure.

That’s the mantra of a unifying strategy for the PNG RFL, PNG Hunters and PNG Bid Team to develop the game together from top to bottom in a country where rugby league is the national sport.

While that set off alarm bells in the national security landscape, Albanese and PNG leader James Marape had spoken about the looming 50th anniversary of PNG independence, which will be celebrated ...

That year also saw the expulsion of foreign mercenaries by the PNG defence force, the end of the Bougainville war, political instability in government, and for rugby league fans, the founding of ...

In the case of PNG, it was the federal government’s backing that proved crucial – Australian taxpayers will provide $600 million over the next 10 years to help establish the team, with $120 ...

Don't miss out on the headlines from NRL. Followed categories will be added to My News. This masthead can reveal that club bosses were updated on expansion at a meeting on Thursday morning only ...

In return, PNG has entered an agreement designed to stop China gaining a security foothold in the Pacific nation. PNG's capital Port Moresby will host home games for the new team, whose name and ...

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape told NRL bosses Peter V’landys and Andrew Abdo after the announcement that a PNG team would join the NRL: “You will not be disappointed”.

It comes as ARL boss Peter V'landys is hoping to reveal in the coming weeks that a side based in Perth, the Western Bears, is to be the 19th team to join the NRL, after the PNG franchise.

The NRL’s expansion into PNG almost collapsed the night before the historic announcement, before the clubs signed off on a monster payment. This is the dramatic story of how the deal was sealed.

Mal Meninga has coached for and against PNG and has an idea what the NRL’s newest team will look like in 2028 and whether he’ll be the coach. The PNG side was confirmed on Thursday morning but ...

But despite the NRL and PNG government seemingly having their ducks in a row, the questions are still coming in thick and fast about the potential new franchise. Watch every Pacific Championship ...