Port Moresby venue doll-up for PNG NRL team

Article posted by Coliseum, March 11^th, 2025

Image: @NRL on X

The Papua New Guinea (country in Oceania) Prime Minister (PM) James Marape advised recently that the country’s new National Rugby League (NRL) team franchise will play its home matches at the Port Moresby’s (capital of Papua New Guinea) 25,000-capacity Sir Hubert Murray Stadium when it enters the competition in 2028.

‘asian leisure BUSINESS’ stated that Prime Minister Marape made the announcement when signing the official documents confirming that the new Papua New Guinea team will enter the NRL competition. He made the announcement in the presence of the outgoing Australian High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea John Feakes.

‘nrl.com’ stated that in a landmark world first sports diplomacy deal the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) confirmed in December 2024 an agreement with the Australian Government to fund a 10-year Pacific Rugby League Partnership.

‘nrl.com’ further stated that the Pacific Rugby League Partnership will support investment into grassroots, pathways and elite rugby league across Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Samoa, and Fiji (countries in Oceania). It will also support the introduction of a PNG-based NRL side as part of a future expanded NRL Telstra Premiership (17 teams battle it out for the highly sought-after title of the Southern Hemisphere’s elite rugby league champion).

Sydney (Australia)-based the National Rugby League (NRL) is a professional rugby league competition in Australasia which comprises clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory, and New Zealand.

The 25,000-capacity Sir Hubert Murray Stadium is a sports venue located in Port Moresby, the capital City of Papua New Guinea. It was developed for the 1969 South Pacific Games on a reclaimed land at Konedobu that had previously been shoreline mangroves.

The South Pacific Games is a continental multisport event held every four years among athletes from Oceania.

The 3rd South Pacific Games, also known as Port Moresby 1969, held from August 13^th-23^rd, 1969 in Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea, was the third edition of the South Pacific Games. A total of 1,150 athletes participated in the games.

New South Wales (Australia)-based the Australian Rugby League Commission Limited (ARL), formerly the Australian Rugby Football League Limited known as the Australian Rugby League, is an Australian rugby league football competition operator.

‘asian leisure BUSINESS’ further stated that while the Sir Hubert Murray Stadium (SHMS) has been confirmed as the team’s primary home ground Prime Minister Marape acknowledged that if upgrades at the venue are not complete by 2028 the Santos National Football Stadium could serve as a temporary alternative. However, he emphasized that the SHMS remains the permanent venue for the team’s future matches.

The 10,000-capacity PNG Football Stadium, known by the sponsored name of Santos National Football Stadium and previously as the Lloyd Robson Oval until 2015, is a sporting ground in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. It hosted three games for the 1989-1992 Rugby League World Cup.

The Rugby League World Cup is an international rugby league tournament contested by the top national men’s representative teams. The tournament is administered by the International Rugby League and was first held in France in 1954 which was the first World Cup held for any form of rugby football.

London (UK)-based the International Rugby League (IRL) is the global governing body for the sport of rugby league football. The IRL organizes the Rugby League World Cup, the oldest international rugby World Cup, as well as the Women’s and Wheelchair equivalent.

The venue announcement follows on from Papua New Guinea being awarded an NRL franchise as part of a wide-ranging 10-year deal involving the Australian Government.

It was confirmed at the time that the team would be based in the capital City of Port Moresby but no plans for the franchise’s home venue were detailed.

With the SHMS requiring a range of upgrades to meet the NRL standards the Port Moresby Governor Powes Parkop advised that efforts are underway to ensure that the venue is fully prepared before 2028 confirming that discussions with the investors and the stakeholders are ongoing to accelerate the necessary upgrades and meet the NRL requirements.

Explaining that the work is set to be carried out in two phases, Parkop stated, “Stage One will see the stadium fully completed and ready for the NRL matches while Stage Two will introduce a high-rise hotel and car park integrating with Harbour City’s infrastructure. This is a defining moment for Papua New Guinea. We are ready for the big stage.”

First opened in 1969 and having hosted football, rugby union and rugby league matches over the years the decision to designate the SHMS as the Papua New Guinea’s NRL team’s home stadium was reportedly based on key factors including its historical significance and the larger seating capacity of 25,000 compared to 15,000 at the Santos National Football Stadium.

Additionally, the SHMS features a permanent concrete and steel structure unlike the scaffold-based setup at the Santos National Football Stadium.

Prime Minister Marape added, “The Sir Hubert Murray Stadium is more than just a venue – it’s a symbol of PNG’s passion for the rugby league. This redevelopment will not only provide a world-class home for our NRL team but also create jobs and boost tourism.”

Papua New Guinea will also be hosting the 2026 Rugby League World Cup alongside Australia.

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