How rugby league is strengthening Australia’s influence in Papua New Guinea

Rugby league occupies a unique position in Papua New Guinea as both the national sport and an important part of national identity. The tournament will put Port Moresby’s infrastructure, transport corridors and security arrangements under greater pressure as domestic and international visitors arrive in the city. 

However, the significance of the tournament extends beyond matchday delivery. Against a backdrop of growing regional interest in Papua New Guinea, the World Cup provides an early test of the country’s readiness to host major events and gives Australia an opportunity to demonstrate the influence of its expanding sports-diplomacy programme. 

Port Moresby faces a practical test of its event readiness 

Rugby league matches in Port Moresby can prompt disruption through unruly fan behaviour and clashes between rival supporters. The authorities are therefore expected to deploy additional police and private security around Santos National Football Stadium, although the effects will extend across the surrounding Boroko area. 

Domestic fixtures have historically created a greater risk of spontaneous violence than international matches. In 2021, an assault on a referee by a team official led to stadium-wide clashes at Sir Hubert Murray Stadium. More recently, rival supporters of the Hagen Eagles and Rabaul Gurias became involved in a violent confrontation after a Digicel ExxonMobil Cup semi-final at Santos National Football Stadium in August 2026. The incident resulted in several arrests and serious injuries. 

International fixtures generally pass without major incidents. Nevertheless, Port Moresby’s existing exposure to violent crime and unrest means that the World Cup will require careful security and transport planning. 

The most significant disruption is likely around Boroko. Hubert Murray Highway, Boroko Drive, Taurama Road and Lahara Avenue are all likely to experience congestion and access restrictions on matchdays. Event organisers and local authorities are expected to close roads around the stadium to secure the area and support team movements. 

Traffic disruption is also likely along the route between Airways Hotel and the stadium. Organisations moving personnel through the city on 17 or 24 October should therefore allow additional journey time and regularly reconfirm transport arrangements. 

These pressures make the tournament a useful operational test. Successful delivery would provide evidence that the city can manage larger visitor numbers and more demanding event logistics. Security incidents, transport failures or significant crowd disorder would instead expose weaknesses that could affect confidence in future sporting and commercial activity. 

The World Cup is an early test for Papua New Guinea’s NRL ambitions 

The Rugby League World Cup fixtures take place ahead of the planned entry of the PNG Chiefs into Australia’s National Rugby League competition in 2028. 

In December 2024, the Australian government announced that it would contribute AUD600 million over ten years to support the establishment of a Port Moresby-based NRL team. The prospect of tax-free salaries and the opportunity to join the historic side have already attracted several notable recruits. 

The PNG Chiefs agreement is the clearest expression to date of Australia’s sports-diplomacy strategy, which began in 2015. It uses rugby league’s popularity in Papua New Guinea to strengthen public and institutional connections between the two countries. 

The World Cup fixtures offer an early, though limited, test of this strategy. Matchday logistics, security arrangements and supporter engagement will provide an indication of Port Moresby’s preparedness to host regular elite-level rugby league fixtures. 

Successful delivery would support confidence in the PNG Chiefs project. Significant crowd disorder, access problems or security failures would instead highlight operational issues that may need to be addressed before the team joins the NRL. 

Sport is becoming part of Australia’s wider Pacific strategy 

As regional powers seek greater influence in Papua New Guinea, the PNG Chiefs agreement has been presented as an important soft-power achievement for Australia. 

However, rugby league is only one element of Australia’s relationship with the country. Australia remains Papua New Guinea’s largest trading partner and aid donor, supporting health, education and governance programmes. 

The two countries have also strengthened their security relationship. The Pukpuk Treaty, signed in October 2025, established them as treaty allies and committed both governments to supporting each other during crises or conflict. 

The agreement further integrates their defence forces and allows citizens of Papua New Guinea to serve in the Australian Defence Force as a potential pathway to Australian citizenship. 

Taken together, the PNG Chiefs agreement and the Pukpuk Treaty demonstrate two connected parts of Australia’s regional approach. Sports diplomacy supports public engagement and soft power, while formal defence agreements reinforce Australia’s position as Papua New Guinea’s principal security and development partner. 

This approach extends beyond Papua New Guinea. Since announcing the PNG Chiefs agreement in December 2024, the Australian government has signed the Nauru-Australia Treaty, concluded the Vanuatu-Australia Nakamal Agreement, formalised the Ocean of Peace Alliance mutual defence pact with Fiji and agreed in principle to a defence and development agreement with the Solomon Islands. 

Australia has also committed a further AUD250 million to the Pacific Rugby League Partnership. These developments demonstrate how sport, development assistance and security cooperation are increasingly operating together within its wider Pacific strategy. 

Papua New Guinea is attracting wider international interest 

Australia remains the most influential external actor in Papua New Guinea, but several other countries are expanding their political and commercial engagement. 

China has delivered major infrastructure projects since Papua New Guinea formally joined the Belt and Road Initiative in 2018. Chinese organisations also have significant interests in the resources sector, including the Ramu nickel and cobalt project in Madang Province. 

China’s growing economic influence has coincided with increased engagement from the United States. The 2023 US-PNG Defence Cooperation Agreement aims to expand defence cooperation and strengthen the capabilities of the Papua New Guinea Defence Force. US companies, including ExxonMobil and Newmont, also hold longstanding strategic interests through the PNG LNG Project and the Lihir Gold Mine. 

France and India have also become more influential. TotalEnergies has maintained a significant presence in the gas sector since 2012, operating the Elk and Antelope gas fields and leading the proposed Papua LNG Project. 

Following Prime Minister James Marape’s meeting with Emmanuel Macron in May 2026, during which they announced plans to establish a new Papua New Guinean embassy in France, the government signalled its intention to deepen economic ties with French investors. 

Indian investors have also responded to opportunities in Papua New Guinea. Mumbai-based Lloyds Metals and Energy secured the Panguna Mine licence, while the Indian High Commission in Port Moresby is undergoing significant renovation. 

This growing interest reflects Papua New Guinea’s increasing geopolitical importance. Its resources, location and established relationships have made the country a focus for investment, development assistance and security engagement. 

Within this environment, rugby league gives Australia a distinctive source of influence. Few other external actors can reproduce the sport’s cultural reach or its position within Papua New Guinean national identity. 

What organisations should take from the Rugby League World Cup 

The immediate implications for organisations are operational. Significant congestion and access restrictions are likely around Boroko, Santos National Football Stadium and associated transport routes on 17 and 24 October. 

Personnel attending fixtures or travelling through affected areas should maintain flexible itineraries and confirm transport arrangements in advance. Organisations should also prepare for possible crowd disorder in the hours following matches, even though international fixtures generally pass without major incident. 

Risk managers can use the matchdays as a limited stress test for existing crisis-management arrangements. Airport transfer routes, journey-management procedures, static asset security and incident-response capabilities should all be reviewed ahead of the fixtures. 

The longer-term significance lies in what the tournament indicates about the PNG Chiefs project and Australia’s wider regional strategy. 

Effective matchday logistics, security and supporter engagement would offer early evidence that Port Moresby can manage some of the operational demands associated with regular NRL fixtures. They would also support Australia’s argument that rugby league can serve as an effective soft-power tool in the Pacific. 

The World Cup will not determine the success of the PNG Chiefs or the direction of geopolitical competition in Papua New Guinea. It does, however, bring those two themes together: the practical challenge of hosting major sporting events and the growing strategic role of rugby league in Australia’s regional engagement. 

Recommended actions 

For personnel and visitors 

• Maintain flexible itineraries on 17 and 24 October. 

• Expect significant congestion and access restrictions around Boroko and between Airways Hotel and Santos National Football Stadium. 

• Exercise increased caution in public areas after fixtures. 

• Confirm transport arrangements before travelling to the stadium. 

For risk managers 

• Reconfirm transport and journey-management arrangements for personnel ahead of each matchday. 

• Monitor Sentinel reporting for unrest, crowd disorder and significant traffic disruption. 

• Use the fixtures to test crisis-management escalation plans, airport route viability, static asset security and incident-response capabilities. 

• Consider whether the increased government and police presence at key locations creates an appropriate opportunity to strengthen existing relationships in Port Moresby.