- The countries’ prime ministers made an announcement on Thursday
- PNG team to become NRL’s 18th or 19th club in 2028
A Papua New Guinea team will enter the NRL from 2028 after being officially granted a license by the league, and Australian rules football fans have criticized the move as a political stunt that wastes $600 million of the league’s money. the taxpayers.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his PNG counterpart James Marape met in Sydney on Thursday to shake hands over the deal, the culmination of two years of planning that also included the chairman of the Australian Football League Commission. Rugby, Peter V’landys.
The pair reached an agreement in principle with the NRL in May and have since been ironing out specific details.
It is expected that in the coming weeks the final legal documents that will ratify the creation of the team will be signed.
“I am delighted to announce that the Australian Government is supporting a PNG team to join the NRL from 2028,” Albanese said.
‘Rugby league is PNG’s national sport and PNG deserves a national team. The new team will belong to the people of PNG and call PNG home.
Papua New Guinea football fans (pictured) are delighted by the news that their country will have its own NRL team, but many of their counterparts in Australia have a very different view.
Australia’s northern neighbor will participate in the NRL competition in 2028 (pictured PNG, in yellow, red and black, will play in the Rugby League World Cup)
Left to right: PNG Prime Minister James Marape, football boss Peter V’landys and Anthony Albanese at the official announcement of the new club on Thursday.
‘I know he will have millions of proud fans who will defend him from day one. Not just in PNG, but I suspect many Australians will adopt the PNG team as their own.”
The as-yet-unnamed team is seen as a key diplomatic tool for Australia to strengthen ties in the hotly contested Pacific and prevent China’s expansion in the area, and will cost the Australian taxpayer $600 million over 10 years.
And that aspect of the league’s historic addition has largely left fans sidelined, judging by the reaction to the news on social media.
‘This is an absolute farce and a mockery of the game. The sooner V’landys and Albo leave, the better,” wrote one fan.
“Waste of taxpayer money: nothing more than a political stunt conceived by a selfish moron,” another commenter wrote, pointing the finger at Albanese.
“It seems like a terrible idea, politics before the fans,” added another.
“For all those hardworking Australian families in deep financial desperation under the worst Prime Minister in history, @AlboMP has shelled out $600 million over 10 years to fund PNG’s entry into the NRL,” wrote another.
Australian NRL fans took to social media to vent their fury following the announcement, with many criticizing the move as political and a waste of taxpayers’ money.
It will be the NRL’s 18th or 19th franchise, pending further expansion plans in Perth.
Players will receive tax incentives to move to PNG and will live in a secure compound in Port Moresby that will be organized and funded by the PNG government.
Initial estimates suggest that players will therefore be able to pocket almost double the amount of money they would earn on the same salary in Australia.
The 10-year agreement with the Australian government will begin now and run until the end of 2034.
About $60 million will be used as licensing fees and that money will be distributed among the clubs.
A further $290 million will be used to support the franchise, while the remaining $250 million will go towards rugby league in the Pacific.
The NRL will not be able to apply for additional money for the duration of the agreement and the federal government has the ability to withdraw support at any time.
The deal is also dependent on Papua New Guinea building safe, world-class accommodation for players and officials.