It’s been a monumental day for the NRL after it was announced that Papua New Guinea will join the premier rugby league competition, in a landmark $600million deal.
The move ends months of speculation over where a new franchise could be founded, with the team set to be based in Port Moresby and will enter the competition from 2028.
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.
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made the announcement on Thursday alongside James Marape, the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea.
Marape called the deal ‘monumental’ speaking of his pride and excitement for the side to officially begin playing in the NRL. He even went on to claim that PNG would win a premiership by 2038.
‘Trust me, within 10 years’ time we will lift the trophy. I want to indicate to everyone in Australia and back home, we’re not just filling the numbers to make us feel good, far from it, we want to win the competition,’ he said.
PNG Prime Minister James Marape has revealed he believes his country’s NRL franchise side can win a premiership in the next 10 years
He has also revealed that PNG is the only country in the world that classes rugby league as their national sport
Thursday was a ‘monumental’ day for the country after it was announced that a franchise team from the country would be joining the NRL from 2028
PNG’s national side has also impressed in this year’s Pacific Championships under new boss, and former Rabbitohs coach Jason Dimitriou.
The Kumuls would clinch notable victories against Fiji and Cook Islands before going on to suffer defeat by New Zealand.
The news has triggered emotional celebrations in the country, which has a huge passion for rugby league.
In fact, as Marape revealed, it is the only country in the world that claims to have rugby league as its national sport.
‘We will field a very strong team in our first game, 2028. There is no other nation on planet earth who will claim to have rugby league as its national sport,’ Marape added.
‘What the NRL is gifting us goes to the heart of uniting our country. For the NRL to embrace a team from PNG is monumental.’
Papua New Guinea boasts a population of around 10million people and the deal will also help improve player pathways to the NRL. Those from Australia travelling to play for the PNG franchise will also be given incentives to play there.
‘There will be a tax-free status for Australian nationals who go and play for the franchise. I think PNG will be an incredibly attractive place to go. I assure you, no one will be incognito in PNG. They will all be heroes. This (PNG) is the greatest rugby league pipeline potential on earth, bar none,’ Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
Australian Prime Minister spoke of his excitement over the deal adding that the PNG franchise ‘will be a powerhouse in the NRL’
Albanese also said that Australian players would be able to enjoy tax-free status as an incentive to join the PNG franchise
ARL boss Peter V’landys spoke on how the deal can increase the NRL’s exposure globally
‘They will be a powerhouse in the NRL with homegrown players, I have no doubt. Rugby league is PNG’s national sport and the new team will belong to the people of PNG. They will literally have millions of proud fans barracking for them.’
It comes as Australia’s Prime Minister’s XI took on PNG in Port Moseby in October, with thousands of fans turning out and generating an electric atmosphere.
‘(PNG will play home games) at a ground, I dare say, with the most extraordinary atmosphere, compared with any ground in Australia. There will be no better experience than going to Port Moresby,’ Albanese added.
V’landys spoke of the immeasurable opportunities this presents to the NRL, PNG and Australia, revealing that PNG will have a very strong team in the first five years.
‘There’s 10 million people in PNG, some say 18 million,’ he said. ‘They are currently probably casual fans so it’s our aim to make them engaged fans. Where else can you get a 10 million (person) new audience overnight?
‘In 10 years, you will have rugby league as one of the most watched sports in the world because of the population of Australia and PNG. More viewers means more sponsors, more broadcast revenue and more revenue.
‘For the game, we could increase our revenue by double within ten years. ‘This is one of the greatest days for rugby league in a very long time. All of a sudden we may have increased our support base ten-fold. That’s what is going to happen.
‘There are now more than 10 million people (ready to enter) pathways. PNG will be a strong team in the first five or six years.’
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .