Papua New Guinea-born representative star Xavier Coates believes the young talent coming through the nation's pathways will ensure the NRL's newest team is competitive from the outset. Coates, who made his Test debut for the Kumuls in 2019, is expected to be one of the main recruitment targets for the PNG NRL team, which will join the Telstra Premiership in 2028. The Storm star, who was a member of the Kangaroos team which won the Pacific Cup, will only be 26 years old when the first premiership match is played in Port Moresby. Current Kumuls players are expected to be offered the opportunity to play for the foundation team as the PNG franchise focuses on homegrown talent. Among those likely to be on the recruitment list are halfback Lachlan Lam, hooker Edwin Ipape (both Leigh), centre Rodrick Tai (Warrington) and outside backs Nene Macdonald (Salford), Zac Laybutt and Robert Derby (both Cowboys). Yet, many of the potential PNG team are yet to play at NRL or Super League level, including fullback Morea Morea, who made his Test debut in November against Cook Islands, and Kumuls hooker Judah Rimbu. Morea, who is on a train-and-trial contract with the Cowboys, was the 2023 QRL Hostplus Cup rookie of the year, while Rimbu has signed with Castleford after winning the 2024 QRL Hostplus Cup player of the year award. Others identified by PNG head of elite pathways Joey Grima for selection in the 2024 Junior Kumuls or PM's XIII who are expected to be ready for the NRL by 2028 include: centre Phillip Coates (Broncos development contract) centre Sam Stephenson (Titans development squad) middle forward Cooper Bai (Titans development squad) hooker Finley Glare (plays for PNG Hunters) prop Vane Manuma (plays for PNG Hunters) halfback Bradley Orosambo (training contract with PNG Hunters) five-eighth Giaro Voro (plays for PNG Hunters) prop Emmanuel Balio (training contract with PNG Hunters). “There's so much talent in PNG who don't get much media attention in Australia so it's pretty cool that they are getting these opportunities," Coates said. “I'm really proud of the nation as a whole and I’m really proud of those boys who are stepping up and performing really well for them." Coates, who moved to Queensland at a young age, represented PNG in 2019 and brother Phillip appears destined to follow in his footsteps after playing for the Junior Kumuls side which drew 22-22 with the Australian Schoolboys in October. Stephenson - who is contracted to the Titans along with Bai, the son of PNG legend Marcus Bai - was selected for the Australian Schoolboys in 2024 after playing for the Young Kumuls in 2023. “They've got some really good homegrown talent up there and they earned my respect back in 2019, when I went into my first camp," Coates said. "I was a fresh 18-year-old and I was quite nervous, and a bit scared to be honest, but they brought me in like I was their little brother. “I'm really appreciative of what the Papua New Guinea and the Kumuls have done for me, and I'll continue to be." Class of 2028 Finley Glare (hooker, age 21): Spotted playing for Lae and featured in the majority of games for PNG Hunters last season. Sound knowledge of the game and exciting out of dummy half. Phillip Coates (centre, age 18): Younger brother of Storm winger Xavier Coates. A giant in stature, he creates opportunities with his huge frame and rugby league IQ. Has an incredible ability in the air and is also a strong defender who dominates his opponents. Currently contracted to Brisbane Broncos. Sam Stephenson (centre, age 18): Played for the Junior Kumuls in 2023 and Australian Schoolboys in 2024. Contracted to Gold Coast Titans for the next three seasons. A powerful and strong running back. Bradley Orosambo (halfback, age 19): Selected in the PNG Schoolboys team after winning player of the tournament with Lae. A cheeky and dominant player who executes plays well. He is also an excellent kicker of the ball and strong defender. Was chosen by SP Hunters coach Paul Aiton for a pre-season training opportunity with his Hostplus Cup squad. Emmanuel Balio (prop): Hails from Mt Hagen, Western Highlands. An aggressive player who received lots of praise for his performance with the Junior Kumuls against Australian Schoolboys. A player who can play big minutes and leads with his actions. Plays for PRK Mendi Muruks in the domestic Digicel Exxon-Mobil Cup competition and dominates his senior opponents. Vane Manuma (prop, age 19): Among the tallest players in PNG, Manuma has a massive frame that allows him to create opportunities with the ball. Comes from a remote village in Aroma, Central Province. His ability and potential earned Manuma a training contract with the SP Hunters and his willingness to learn and grow as a player make him an ideal prospect. Gairo Voro (five-eighth, age 21): Hailing from a remote fishing village in Abau District, Central Provence, Voro looked up to Darren Lockyer as a junior. An aggressive defender, who possesses patience and excellent skills with the ball, Voro has the ability to play anywhere in the backline. A leader on the field, he is currently contracted to SP Hunters. Cooper Bai (middle forward, age 18): Son of PNG legend Marcus Bai, Cooper has been rewarded with a contract with Gold Coast Titans. A syndesmosis injury ruled Bai out of contention for the Junior Kumuls but he has representative experience with Queensland U19s. A real steward of the game, Bai will get his opportunities through hard work and rugby league IQ.

The National St John Ambulance Council (NStJA) is urging people to be extra careful on the roads this festive season and that people consuming alcohol do so drink responsibly this festive season. The ambulance service has deployed more ambulance workers to ensure that assistance is available when needed since they anticipate receiving more emergency calls when many people are out celebrating. Too often the NStJA see the tragic consequences of preventable injuries when seatbelts are not worn. NStJA warns that as the driver of the car, you are responsible for the safety of every passenger on your vehicle. You can help protect your family by encouraging them to wear seatbelts when they have one available to them. If you’re in a car that has a seatbelt available, make sure you wear it properly. To prepare for the busy holiday season, NStJA will have additional ambulance crews on duty from Christmas Eve to New Year’s Day. These crews will work 12-hour shifts from 11:00 to 23:00 to provide quick help for emergencies. Extra crews will also be available in Lae, Kokopo, and the National Capital District (NCD), with a total of 18 ambulance crews on duty each day across four provinces. “Our road ambulances are supported by around ten on-call units, including regional commanders, doctor and paramedic response teams, and personnel transport units. Altogether, 26 emergency response units will be available across the region to deliver critical care throughout the festive season.” NStJA Commissioner Matt Cannon said, “The holiday season is a time to celebrate, but it’s also a time to be careful. We want everyone to stay safe by making smart choices. Don’t drink and drive, always wear a seatbelt, and look out for your family and friends.” The ambulance service is grateful for the support it has received throughout the year. Cannon added, “We thank the communities in Lae City, ENB, Central, Eastern Highlands, Western Highlands, NCD, and beyond for their support of our ambulance Green Angels. Your respect and cooperation mean we can do our job better.” “We are immensely proud of our team of around 400 Green Angels, who work tirelessly to save lives every day, and equally proud of the many community members we’ve trained as first responders. This includes over 110 taxi and PMV drivers in Port Moresby who have stepped up as qualified community first aiders, helping to make our city safer for everyone.” Looking ahead, NStJA is working through NDoH, Provincial Governments and Provincial Health Authorities to open emergency ambulance stations in Eastern Highlands and Gulf province, and potentially Western Highlands Provinces in 2026. They are calling on the community to show their support by protecting the ambulance Green Angels ensuring their safety during this Christmas and New Year period.

As Christmas draws nearer, the people of Samarai Murua in the Milne Bay Province have been urged by their local Member of Parliament (MP) Henry Isi Leonard to celebrate Christmas responsibly and in its true meaning and that’s celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ as Christians. “We have now reached the end of the year where we all celebrate the Christmas festive season and we as a Christan nation always celebrate the Christmas season with a Christan element to it.” “It's a time where we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and that is acknowledged everywhere in the country. And in times like these, we have the churches programs, the youths and women’s programs and even the community programs all focused on the Christan element of the festive season.” “And I would like to extend this very special festive greeting to all the people of Samarai Murua. Those from Budibudi, Rossil, Sudest, Woodlard Island and all the way down the chain group of islands in the district.” The member said that this is a time when people/families come together to share the moment with loved ones. This is a joyous occasion for families to gravitate and celebrate our Christan faith. “I wish all my people a festive happy season, Whatever occasion you are attending whether it's youths sport or a women’s gathering, let's all celebrate it responsibly.” He said, joy supersedes everything at times like this and urged his people to take care when celebrating this special holiday. “I would like to stress to everyone that whiles you enjoy the festive, make sure to respect each other.” He stated that celebrating responsibly is the key to maintaining law and order in every household, ward and the community.

Nasfund is thrilled to announce the recent addition of City Pharmacy Limited (CPL) and Crown Hotel as the newest members of Nasfund's Employer-to-Employer (E2E) Discount Program. With these new partnerships, Nasfund now offers exclusive discounts across retail, travel, and hospitality, benefiting over 2,000 employers nationwide. Exclusive Discounts Include: City Pharmacy Limited (CPL) is providing 15% off all prescriptions and an added 10% off all other products nationwide (exclusions apply). Crown Hotel Port Moresby is offering 15% off rack rates for accommodation, venue hire, and AV equipment (exclusions apply). Speaking on the program’s significance, Nasfund CEO Rajeev Sharma emphasized its value to employers. “We’re looking forward to strengthening relationships with our long-term employers. This program is our way of thanking them and providing a common platform for mutual benefit.” CPL Head of Pharmacy, Pradeep Panda, highlighted the program’s broad accessibility. “With 36 branches across 19 provinces, this E2E discount ensures that with less money, you can buy more.” Similarly, Crown Hotel General Manager, Shankar Ghoshal, reflected on the hotel’s commitment to quality and competitiveness. “With the E2E discount of 15%, we aim to broaden our market scope and provide even greater value to our partners.” Employers can access these benefits by meeting the following criteria: 1. Be a registered and contributing employer with Nasfund. 2. Present their Nasfund Employer ID. 3. Provide a copy of their Nasfund registration certificate. Nasfund encourages all registered employers to take advantage of this unique opportunity. These partnerships underscore Nasfund’s commitment to adding value to the businesses supporting Papua New Guineans’ superannuation journey. For more information about the E2E Discount Program, contact Nasfund at 1588 or email marketing@nasfund.com.pg.

The 2024 EventsAir Innovation Awards have awarded the Papua New Guinea Chamber of Resources and Energy (PNG CORE) a Highly Commended Recognition in the Best Use of Technology (500+ category). This year’s awards saw a record number of high-quality submissions, making the judging process highly competitive. Despite the strong field, PNG CORE stood out for its exceptional use of the EventsAir platform, which has greatly enhanced event management and engagement across its operations. “We are grateful to receive this recognition,” said Mrs. Pansy Taueni-Sialis, Chief Operating Officer of PNG CORE. “This award highlights our commitment to leveraging technology to connect stakeholders and in streamlining our operations.” “The events Air platform has been integral in delivering more efficient, engaging, and impactful events that drive growth and innovation in Papua New Guinea’s mining, oil and gas sectors.” “The platform has played an enabling role in organizing and managing successful conferences, workshops, and seminars, enhancing communication, data management, and real-time engagement for more dynamic events.” “We thank the Innovation Awards organizers, our dedicated team led by Manager Events Sheryl Peter, and partners who continue to drive our digital transformation,” Taueni-Sialis added. “This recognition encourages us to keep adopting new technologies to strengthen the resources and energy sectors and contribute to the sustainable development of Papua New Guinea.” “PNG CORE remains committed to advancing the industry and promoting innovation and collaboration in the nation’s resources and energy sectors.”

The Cowboys have suffered a double blow with forward Jason Taumalolo undergoing surgery for a foot injury, while rising youngster Tom Chester is expected to miss the 2025 NRL season after suffering an ACL injury at training. Taumalolo had surgery in early December to repair a Lisfranc injury suffered playing for Tonga in the Pacific Championships, with a return to play timeline to be determined in January upon his return to training. Townsville local Chester has endured a terrible run of injuries in recent years, with an ACL injury also cutting short his season in 2023. Since making his debut in 2022, the outside back has featured in 12 games for North Queensland. Eels five-eighth Dylan Brown is nearing the completion of his recovery from the partial ACL tear that ruled him out of the Pacific Championships with New Zealand. Brown suffered the injury in Parramatta's final game of 2024 and is being integrated back into full training. An Eels medical update said he would begin unrestricted training post-Christmas. However, Queensland Origin forward J'maine Hopgood isn't expected to resume training with until February after undergoing a knee operation. Hopgood, who missed the second half of 2024 with a back injury sustained in Origin I, underwent an arthroscopy to resolve the knee issue that has been hampering him. Kiwi back Bailey Simonsson has begun running as he continues his rehabilitation for an ACL injury that sidelined him for most of 2024 and is aiming for a Round 1-3 return. Jake Tago and Haze Dunster have also had arthroscopies for knee injuries and are scheduled to return training in January. New recruit Jack Williams underwent off-season surgery on a ligament injury, limiting him to partial training. The former Sharks utility will integrate into full training post-Christmas. Storm star Cameron Munster believes he will be fit for the Storm's Round 1 clash with Parramatta on March 9 at AAMI Park as he continues his recovery from hip surgery. Munster had surgery on both his hips following Melbourne's NRL grand final loss to Penrith and missed Australia's victorious Pacific Championships campaign.The Origin five-eighth is undergoing rehabilitation to strengthen his glutes, groins and hips and won't start running until February. However, he is aiming to play in the opening round at AAMI Park. “I’m pretty frustrated. I’ve been inside for a while and I want to be able to get back out there and run, but I’m optimistic," Munster said. "I won’t be able to run until February. I’m doing everything I can to fast track it but [the fitness staff] are not going to push as hard as I want to go." Storm teammate Ryan Papenhuyzen is back running and looking to return to full speed when he kicks off his 2025 campaign. Speaking to the media after inking a new deal through to the end of 2026, Papenhuyzen said he had done a lot of soul searching and had a clear plan around getting his agility back. "I had my plates and screws removed out of my ankle and I had my first run in six weeks on Wednesday (December 11)," Papenhuyzen said. "I was running with Hughesy [Jahrome Hughes] who is still dealing with a bit of a neck issue and we were just having a chat about what's ahead." Meanwhile, Rabbitohs centre Campbell Graham says he "feels like a footy player again" after completing his first full week of pre-season training. Campbell missed the entire 2024 season due to a sternum injury, but has his sights firmly set on earning his jersey back for Round 1 when the Rabbitohs face the Dolphins. "It was a long year for me personally, it's been pretty tough, especially the way the season went with the boys, but I'm glad that's behind me now and the end of this rehab journey is very close," Graham said. "My main focus now is to play good footy for Souths and I'm excited for that." Panthers skipper Nathan Cleary is on track for Round 1 in Las Vegas after shoulder surgery at the end of the season, but the availability of Dylan Edwards is yet to be seen after surgery on a shoulder issue. Fellow Panther Paul Alamoti suffered a suspected dislocated elbow during Tonga's clash with the Kangaroos in the Pacific Championships final, while Clive Churchill Medal winner Liam Martin was ruled out of Pacific Championships after succumbing to injuries picked up throughout the NRL season. At the Dragons, star recruit Val Holmes is progressing well and has transitioned into team training after suffering a broken fibula in the Cowboys' semi-final loss to the Sharks. He will be available for the club's first trial. Fullback Tyrell Sloan has suffered a stress injury in his right foot after developing pain whilst training. He is expected to commence rehab running after Christmas and will be available for the club's first trial match. And youngster Lyhkan King-Togia is also expected to be available for trials after suffering a fractured jaw whilst training. Rabbitohs captain Cameron Murray had surgery for a wrist injury sustained while in camp with the Kangaroos. Murray suffered the injury during training in the lead-up to Australia's 22-10 defeat of New Zealand in Christchurch, ruling him out of the Pacific Cup final against Tonga. South Sydney officials said the operation had been a success. Source: NRL.com

Papua New Guinea’s first match in the NRL is tipped to be the most watched game in history and Kumuls great Marcus Bai predicts the atmosphere will be like nothing else in world sport. PNG will join the NRL in 2028 and Bai said Santos National Stadium in Port Moresby would not be anywhere big enough to accommodate the number of fans wanting to attend in the rugby league mad country. While the 2028 draw won’t be announced until late 2027, it is expected that PNG would open the season at home and Bai said the whole nation will be watching. “It will be massive, there’s 10 million people in Papua New Guinea and there will be 10 million people wanting to go to that game,” Bai said. “Port Moresby will be busier than ever before in the lead up to the game on the day. “I want to be a part of it and so will everyone in Papua New Guinea. If they can’t go to the game, they will be trying to watch it on TV.” The annual Prime Minister’s XIII match in October was reportedly watched by a television audience of 1.5 million in Papua New Guinea alone, but many believe the audience could have been even higher. PNG has waited more than a decade for an NRL side and Bai, who was in the room when the team’s entry was announced last Thursday, revealed how Wayne Bennett had influenced the direction of the bid. The idea of a PNG NRL team was first announced by the nation’s founding Prime Minister, Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare, in 2008 but Bennett suggested a PNG side enter the Queensland Cup to prove themselves. As a result, the PNG Hunters joined the competition in 2014, winning the premiership in 2017 and reaching last season’s preliminary final. “Wayne Bennett said in 2011 that you need to get into Queensland Cup before you put yourself into the NRL, ‘because it is tougher than what you think’, but it has happened now and I am very excited,” Bai said. “Ten years ago, I couldn’t have imagined it; not even five years ago. Three years ago, I had a conversation with [PNG Bid Team CEO] Andrew Hill, and I said to him, ‘good luck, to me you are not ready’. “Looking at our pathways in under 14s and under 15s they weren’t strong, but I think the announcement is going to give a massive boost to our young boys and young girls to get a chance.” Bai was the first Papua New Guinean to play in the elite Australian competition, starting in New Britain and playing for Port Moresby Vipers before joining the Gold Coast Chargers in 1997. He became a Storm foundation player in 1998 and played 144 matches in six seasons for Melbourne, scoring 70 tries, and won the 1998 Dally M winger of the year award, while helping the club to an historic premiership in 1999. Few other PNG players have been able to make the transition to the NRL, but with former Eels coaching director Joey Grima in charge of pathways the best juniors are now being identified and put into academies. The results have been obvious, with the Junior Kumuls drawing 22-22 with the Australian Schoolboys in October after a narrow loss om 2023 and Bai said a PNG NRL team would open the floodgates for local talent. “It is a big announcement for us as a country and I know a lot of young Papua New Guineans will be looking at jumping on board,” Bai said. “As I said to the Grand Chief [Somare] in 2008, ‘no one is going to follow the pathway I did. It is too hard’. “Some years ago, we had the Hunters come into the Queensland Cup and now we have this. “It is another bridge for our youth in Papua New Guinea and they should be jumping for joy at the chance to go through the pathways and education to be able to represent our country, whether that be through the Hunters or the new NRL team.”

PNG NRL Bid CEO Andrew Hill acknowledged the recent announcement that PNG now has an NRL team that will be based in Port Moresby. He said after the announcement, the first bid is to enjoy and acknowledge what has just occurred and let it sink in that PNG is getting an NRL team, and afterwards, the real work will commence come next year. “When we come back in the new year, the big-ticket items that we got to start to plan is the High-Performance Centre and the village where the players and staff will live.” He said running professional teams is not cheap and the K100 million allocation from the PNG government will partially go towards funding the infrastructure in the coming two years, such as the High-Performance centre and the village were the players and staff will live. “The Santos Stadium and the Sporting Precinct site has been identified for the High-Performance Centre." "But the village itself, we have a number of different options that will work through in the coming months.” Mr. Hill clarified that the funding of $600 million that the Australian Government committed is for a 10-year period for the whole pacific through the “Pacific Rugby League Partnership” and not PNG alone. The Pacific Rugby League Partnership will support investment into grassroots, pathways and elite rugby league across Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Samoa and Fiji. It will also support the introduction of a PNG-based NRL side as part of a future expanded NRL Telstra Premiership. “PNG is obviously an element of that funding and in a very high-level, about half of that amount will come to PNG for the NRL team and the other half will be used to promoting rugby league across the pacific." "Helping the pacific to grow through tests matches, hosting world cup games and its over a 10-year period.” He further stated that, the naming of the team and selections will be done after New Year, but for now, they are excited that PNG is the 18th NRL team.

The Papua New Guinea National Department of Health (NDoH) through the COVID-19 Emergency Response Project (ERP) funded by the World Bank Pacific Health Portfolio Projects has 40 containers packed with Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) for 20 Provincial Health Authorities (PHAs). Gulf PHA, National Capital District PHA & Central PHA have received their supplies. PPEs for distribution to the PHAs include hand sanitizers, face mask, gowns, aprons, sterile surgical and disposable hand gloves, oxygen masks, oxygen tubes among other items including medical laboratory commodities. All PHAs will receive two 20ft containers of PPEs. Supplies for Milne Bay PHA have been shipped out and should have arrived in Alotau on the 14th December. PHAs listed to receive their PPE supplies by shipment include Oro, Milne Bay, Western PHA (Kiunga & Daru), Morobe, Madang PHA, East Sepik PHA-ESPHA, West Sepik, Manus, New Ireland PHA - NIPHA, East New Britain, West New Britain, ARoB, Eastern Highlands, Western Highlands Provincial Health Authority, Enga PHA, Southern Highlands PHA, Hela PHA, Jiwaka & Simbu PHA. Central PHA Infection Protection and Control Officer Ruben Aihi when receiving the PPEs on behalf of the CEO thanked the World Bank, the NDoH, and the COVID-19 ERP for supplying the PPEs. “The supply of these PPEs is timely as we have run very short and often at times find other means to support and to care for our sick people in our hospitals and clinics,” said Mr. Aihi. Containers for Western should have arrived in Daru while Milne Bay should have arrived over the weekend Saturday and New Ireland today. It is expected that by the end of January 2025, all PHAs will have received their PPE and Laboratory commodity supplies. Post PNG Ltd has been engaged by the NdoH to deliver the 40 containers across the 22 PHAs.

The Wapenamanda Adventist Foundation launched the Wapenamanda for Christ Post Evangelization Program on Thursday 12th December that will be conducted at 102 locations in the Wapenamanda District of Enga province in the next two weeks, starting from the 16 December to 29 December 2024. The local member of Parliament and recently appointed Finance Minister, Miki Kaeyok, who is also a faithful member of the Church, officiated at the launching for a few hours before returning back to Port Moresby. The program brought together Councilors and leaders of warring tribes in the district, those of the Yopo and Palinoe Alliance in the Tsak Valley and the Sauwalaps in the Middle Lai Constituencies. Minister Kaeyok appealed to the leaders to foremost welcome God into their communities for them to truly see God restore peace. “God is source of peace. To show that I care and love you, I am supporting this church program that will witness to every village, the 80,000 people of Wapenamanda at 102 locations throughout the district.” The minister said before government services are revived in the war zone areas, God must be welcomed into the communities. “I discourage any hateful and revengeful thinking and actions to be taken among conflicting tribes”. The minister also assured he will be working closely with the District Law and Order Officials to come up with amicable concepts and resolutions to restoring peace back into communities in the New Year. Good responses were delivered from the representing leaders of the warlords and tribes. Bibles were distributed to all the leaders and a dedicatory and boundary prayer was also made. Already the tribe’s members are occupying their land, following the Wapenamanda Peace Accord in mid this year. People have built houses and gardens. Another appeal of the leader was for other Christian churches in the district to run programs this Christmas period programs in their own settings. The Wapenamanda for Christ Post Evangelism Program will be led by 102 pastors. Equipment’s and sound systems for each of the site was funded by the National Capital District Adventist Foundation. A good number of officials and delegates from the Western Highlands SDA Mission were also present for the program as they have been praying for and also conducted previous initial awareness and evangelization to stop the tribal fighting when the fighting was at its peak in 2023.

Due to continuous harassment & disrespect towards match officials & their decisions, the Eastern Papua Cup (EPC) executives have decided to terminate the remainder of the 2024 tournament. EPC President Samson Siguyaru said in a statement that the club managers who attended the Rita Flynn meeting that convened on Friday 13th December, expressed regret but stood with the executives to cancel the finals. He stated that one of the factors that lead to the cancellation of the finals was the use of threats, obscene language and physical assault during games causing fear and anxiety and frustration from all parties except two clubs. Despite the theme “Embracing Change! Going Forward” & the pledge “Uniting Milne Bay through Sports”, certain clubs namely Utuyagila and Kasamadagi have by conduct acted contrary to and in violation of these founding principles of the EPC, thus compromising the integrity and purpose of the EPC tournament. He said, the lack of respect towards the executives, especially the conduct of certain club managers and their supporters. Such intolerance acts set bad precedent towards further running the EPC tournament. One of the factors that the decision was based upon was due to the violation of the FIFA and EPC rules and regulations. Siguyaru argued and stated that, EPC is bigger than any club or individual and again, a certain club has demonstrated the lack of regard towards such guiding rules and regulations. He added that, this tough decision was taken after considering all factors. It is prudent to take precautions and ensure the safety of everyone and preserve the integrity of the carnival. And that is paramount.

Its official! The longstanding relationship between Papua New Guinea and Australia has been taken to a new level with the announcement that PNG will enter the National Rugby League in 2028. The announcement will not only unite the country in terms of sport but will also be of tremendous benefit to the country in terms of economic development in the coming years. There is already a fantastic relationship between PNG and Australia, and this will only continue to go from strength to strength. The announcement will now allow PNG to capitalize on opportunities that will include supporting underutilized sectors, building a sustainable tourism ecosystem, attracting talent to the country and growing overall national engagement through the game of rugby league. Interest in rugby league within PNG is at an all-time high. The recent Kumuls versus the Prime Ministers X111 match attracted over 1 million views via the Digicel network. These are incredible viewing figures when compared to weekly NRL figures on Fox or Nine. With PNG entering the National Rugby League in 2028, the potential is now limitless, both through eyeballs on the game and digital growth. This will be a vital factor in growing the game throughout the country in the future. PNG Rugby Football League Chief Executive, Stanley Hondina, paid tribute to the incredible amount of work that had gone on behind the scenes to lead to this point: “I would like to firstly thank Prime Minister’s Anthony Albanese and James Marape for working so hard to bring this dream to reality. This NRL team to PNG is more just a football team, it is a powerful tool to not only strengthen the PNG Aus partnership and history but also provides other immense opportunities to building our country and its people holistically.” “This is a tremendous day for our people, and this will now allow us to showcase this amazing country to the world. PNG is an amazing place to visit, and we now look forward to people getting a chance to learn more about this beautiful island through the lens of rugby league. "I would also like to take this opportunity to thank NRL Bid Chief Executive Andrew Hill and Chairman Wapu Sonk, for their brilliant work in bringing this bid together. An enormous amount of hard work has gone into getting to where we are today, and I know everyone is now excited about what lies ahead for the game in this country,” said Mr. Hondina. PNG Rugby Football League Chairman Sandis Tsaka echoed the thoughts of all rugby league supporters stating, “This is incredible news for the game in this country. It is a sport that is loved throughout the nation, and it is part of our fabric and what unites our people. “It is played in the streets and on the fields. In schools and at clubs. You see it everywhere you go and the whole country will be behind our team leading into that first match in 2028.” “This opportunity is a testament to the growth of the game and the tireless work and passion of our volunteers, partners, players and staff alike, who have been committed to developing the sport, but more importantly, positively impacting the lives of the many who are involved in rugby league in PNG.” “We will welcome all visitors and fans from other teams with open arms and we believe that people who visit will leave having had an amazing experience and seeing first-hand what the game means to people in this country.”