Tourism Minister Hon. Belden Namah has expressed strong support for Prime Minister Hon. James Marape’s initiative to have a Papua New Guinea team join the Australian NRL competition by 2028. Following Sunday’s Prime Minister’s XIII game between Australia and PNG, PNG Rugby Football League Chairman Sandis Tsaka also shared his enthusiasm, highlighting the significance of the proposal.
This joint push to bring the NRL to PNG symbolises a new chapter for sports and tourism, setting the stage for the world to witness the spirit and unity of Papua New Guinea.
“Sports is something that unifies the country. The prime minister is absolutely right when he says that sports is ‘unity in diversity’ in PNG,” Minister Namah said.
Minister Namah emphasised the synergy between tourism and sports, noting that, “When you look at it from a tourism perspective, sports are about tourism as well. Tourism is about promoting sports. When you look at a holistic view of what our government is doing, this is a decision in the right direction.”
He continued, “The NRL coming into PNG is big time. You will have families, friends, and supporters coming here from all over the world to see their favorite players in action. Tourism and sports go hand-in-hand. This is big-time tourism for the country. It will change the perception of people from other parts of the world about PNG. The onus is now on our people to embrace this and start changing our mentality because the world is coming to PNG. We have to be prepared for that. I believe that we are going in the right direction.”
Chairman Tsaka reflected on the significance of Sunday’s game, stating, “Today’s game was broadcast live throughout the Pacific through Channel 9 and Foxtel, as well as Sky TV in New Zealand. The attention of the rugby league world was on PNG today Tsaka added, “These herald the beginning of what we will be doing in the NRL. What a great atmosphere! Digicel, through TVWan, also carried the game live throughout the country. Our ground staff were tested to the maximum as we had to work to broadcast times because the game was watched live across the world.
“I’m proud of the ground staff for delivering the event, as well as the players for coming together to showcase what the sport means to us. Rugby league is more than just a sport; it brings together a nation of diverse tribes and languages and builds on the Australia-PNG relationship.”
In his closing remarks, Tsaka expressed gratitude, saying, “We’re thankful to the Australian government and the NRL for partnering with our government. We’re thankful to both prime ministers and the cabinets of both countries for allowing us to nurture this important industry that brings our countries and people together.”