PNGRFL
Competitions · PNGNRLC

PNG National Rugby League Competition

The Papua New Guinea National Rugby League Competition (PNGNRLC) is responsible for the governance and delivery of Papua New Guinea’s national rugby league competitions. Today, its role extends beyond administering the country’s premier men’s competition.

PNGNRLC provides the national competition structure that connects pathway clubs, players, coaches, officials and administrators across men’s, women’s and youth rugby league, creating a clearer progression from community and Academy development into higher levels of the game.

Digicel ExxonMobil Cup match action
Senior · Men’s

Digicel ExxonMobil Cup

Papua New Guinea’s premier senior men’s national competition.

Explore
PNG Orchids national womens rugby league squad
Senior · Women’s

Santos Cup

Papua New Guinea’s premier senior women’s national competition.

Explore
Affiliated league match day in Papua New Guinea
Under-19 · Youth

National Youth Competition

A structured youth competition bridging junior development and senior national competition.

Explore
Our History

A New Competition Model

The modern PNGNRLC structure was created in 2017 following a major restructure of Papua New Guinea’s national rugby league competition.

In March 2017, PNGRFL moved to replace the former PNG National Rugby League structure with a new competition and management model. The intention was to align the national competition more closely with PNGRFL’s strategic direction while creating a more independent and professional competition-management system.

The new model was designed around stronger governance, competition integrity, transparency, franchise accountability, competition rules and standards, judicial processes and professional administration.

The restructure took effect from 29 March 2017, with the competition subsequently operating under the Papua New Guinea National Rugby League Competition – PNGNRLC name. Adrian Chow was appointed chairman during the restructure and the revamped national competition was officially launched ahead of the 2017 season.

  1. 2017

    PNGNRLC established under the restructured national competition model.

  2. 2019

    National men’s competition expanded to 12 teams.

  3. 2024

    Santos Cup launched as the national women’s competition.

  4. 2025

    National Youth Competition introduced for Under-19 male players.

  5. 2026

    PNGNRLC operates an integrated competition system across senior men’s, senior women’s and youth rugby league.

Governance

Governance and the PNGNRLC Board

-

PNGNRLC operates as the national competition body within the broader PNGRFL system. Its governance structure has historically been built around representation from the participating national franchises, together with independent competition leadership.

In the original 2017 restructure, PNGRFL proposed an executive competition board comprising an independent chairman, franchise representation and sponsor representation, with the competition operating independently but in consultation with PNGRFL.

Adrian Chow, portrait
Chairman

Adrian Chow

Adrian Chow serves as Chairman of PNGNRLC. He was re-elected unopposed for a third term at the PNGNRLC Annual General Meeting in March 2025, with the participating franchise chairmen supporting his continuation in the role.

Under his leadership, PNGNRLC has increasingly focused on improving competition standards, strengthening franchise governance, developing sustainable pathway clubs, expanding opportunities for women, introducing youth competition and preparing the domestic competition system to support Papua New Guinea’s future elite rugby league ambitions.

Franchise Representation

PNGNRLC’s governance is closely linked to its participating pathway clubs. At the 2025 AGM, the chairmen of the participating franchises voted on the PNGNRLC chairmanship, illustrating the franchise-based structure of the competition body.

  1. PNGRFL
  2. PNGNRLC Board / Chairman
  3. Pathway Franchise Boards
From Franchises to Pathway Clubs

Building More Than a Senior Men’s Team

One of the most important changes within PNGNRLC has been the evolution of its franchises from teams competing only in the senior men’s national competition into broader pathway clubs. PNGNRLC’s expectation is increasingly that franchises build structures capable of developing players, coaches and support staff across multiple levels of the game.

The role of a franchise is no longer simply to field a Digicel ExxonMobil Cup side. Franchises are being encouraged to invest in junior and youth development, women’s rugby league, coaching and high performance, club governance, administration, player welfare, commercial sustainability and pathways connecting local rugby league with national competition.

PNGNRLC has stated that participating clubs must align with the growth of the competition and invest in their pathways and overall club development.

The modelPathway Club
  1. Community Rugby League
  2. Academy & Youth Development
  3. National Youth Competition
  4. Santos Cup / Digicel ExxonMobil Cup
  5. Hunters / Junior Representative Teams / National Teams

Building Men’s and Women’s Franchise Programs

PNGNRLC is progressively moving towards a model where pathway franchises support both men’s and women’s national competition programs. The Digicel ExxonMobil Cup currently operates with 12 senior men’s franchises, while the 2026 Santos Cup featured six franchise teams that already operate across both senior men’s and women’s competition environments.

Rather than treating women’s rugby league as a separate structure, PNGNRLC can increasingly develop clubs capable of providing a connected pathway for both male and female players.

2026 Santos Cup franchises
  • Gas Resources Central Dabaris
  • Bintangor Goroka Lahanis
  • Lae Snax Tigers
  • Wamp Nga Mt Hagen Eagles
  • ENB Agmark Gurias
  • Moni Plus NCDC Port Moresby Vipers

Men

  1. Academy / Youth
  2. National Youth Competition
  3. Digicel ExxonMobil Cup
  4. Hunters / Kumuls

Women

  1. Community / Academy
  2. Development Pathway
  3. Santos Cup
  4. Orchids

Why This Matters

Develop Talent Locally

Players can progress through one connected club environment.

Improve Coaching

Clubs can build a larger coaching workforce across youth, men’s and women’s programs.

Strengthen Administration

A broader organisation requires stronger governance, management and systems.

Build Stronger Brands

A franchise represents an entire rugby league community, not only one senior team.

Create More Opportunity

Women and young players gain clearer access to national competition.

Support Elite Pathways

National competitions connect more effectively to Hunters, Kumuls, Orchids and future professional opportunities.

Digicel ExxonMobil Cup match action in front of a full crowd
The Senior Men’s National Competition

The Digicel ExxonMobil Cup

The Digicel ExxonMobil Cup is Papua New Guinea’s premier men’s domestic rugby league competition. Digicel has supported the competition as naming-rights sponsor since 2011, and ExxonMobil joined as co-naming-rights sponsor in 2023. Digicel renewed its partnership in 2026 through to 2028.

The competition has grown from eight teams during the early years of the Digicel partnership to a 12-club national competition, reflecting wider provincial representation and increased competition standards. PNGNRLC increasingly describes these participating organisations as pathway clubs rather than simply senior teams.

ROLE 01Determine PNG’s premier domestic rugby league club
ROLE 02Develop players and club systems for higher levels of the game
Explore the Digicel ExxonMobil Cup
Building the National Women’s Pathway

The Santos Cup

The Santos Cup was introduced in 2024 to provide Papua New Guinea’s leading female players with a structured national competition. By 2026, the competition had entered its third season and expanded its national footprint, with six franchises competing across Port Moresby, Lae, Rabaul, Goroka and Minj.

It plays an important role in bridging the gap between grassroots and Academy development and the PNG Orchids. PNGNRLC Chairman Adrian Chow described the competition in 2026 as an elite high-performance environment that helps connect grassroots rugby league with international competition.

Not simply a women’s premiership — a critical part of Papua New Guinea’s national player-development system.

Explore the Santos Cup
Why the National Youth Competition Was Created

Bridging the Development Gap

The National Youth Competition (NYC) was introduced in 2025 as an Under-19 male competition, addressing the gap between junior rugby league and senior national competition.

Before the NYC, talented young players could move from school, community or Academy environments into a much more demanding senior competition without first experiencing a consistent national youth competition.

PNGRFL CEO Stanley Hondina explained at the competition’s launch that the concept built on the success of the preceding national youth championship and was designed to expose Papua New Guinea’s best young players to an intense weekly competition with greater expectations around preparation and professionalism.

Former PNG Kumul Justin Olam later described the youth competition as an important foundation for Papua New Guinea’s future, particularly because it helps bridge the long-standing gap between grassroots rugby league and the Digicel ExxonMobil Cup.

The NYC provides young players with
  • Regular national-level competition
  • Stronger opposition
  • Travel experience
  • Structured coaching
  • Higher preparation standards
  • Greater exposure
  • Experience within pathway franchises
  • A clearer transition towards senior competition

The National Youth Competition and the Academy

The NYC is designed to connect closely with the PNGRFL Academy. This alignment is important because talent identification alone is not enough. Players need structured competition in which they can apply what they have learned through Academy development.

The NYC provides that next step.

Explore the National Youth Competition
  1. Community Rugby League
  2. PNGRFL Academy
  3. National Youth Competition
  4. Digicel ExxonMobil Cup
  5. Elite Rugby League

Three Competitions. One National Pathway.

  1. National Youth CompetitionDeveloping Emerging Players
  3. Elite & Representative Rugby LeaguePNG Hunters · Junior Kumuls · Junior Orchids · Kumuls · Orchids · Future Professional Pathways

PNGNRLC’s development from a single senior men’s competition into a broader national competition system reflects a major shift in Papua New Guinea rugby league. The focus is increasingly on building a system rather than simply running a season.

Club Standards

Raising the Standard of Clubs

PNGNRLC has continued to strengthen the standards required of participating franchises. Club assessments have increasingly considered areas beyond on-field performance, including governance, management, financial sustainability, home venues and facilities, player welfare, pathways, administration and commercial capability.

This is why PNGNRLC has at times delayed expansion, granted provisional entry or required clubs to strengthen compliance before being admitted or readmitted. The Kandes were admitted as the 12th club for the 2026 season after a multi-year process involving planning and compliance requirements. PNGNRLC has also continued working with the Kimbe Cutters following their exclusion from the 2026 competition, focusing on strengthening management and pathway structures before potential re-entry.

Our principleEntry into national competition comes with responsibility.
Looking ahead

A Competition System for the Future

The growth of PNGNRLC is an important part of the wider transformation of rugby league in Papua New Guinea. Its role is no longer limited to delivering the country’s premier senior men’s competition — it now sits at the centre of a national pathway involving Community Rugby League, the PNGRFL Academy, youth development, national competition and elite representative opportunities.

  1. Community Rugby League
  2. PNGRFL Academy
  3. National Youth Competition
  4. Santos Cup / Digicel ExxonMobil Cup
  5. Hunters / Junior Representative Teams
  6. PNG Kumuls / PNG Orchids / Future Professional Opportunities

That is the direction in which PNGNRLC continues to develop: stronger franchises, stronger pathways, higher competition standards and more opportunities for Papua New Guinean players.

Three Competitions.Stronger Pathway Clubs.One National System.

Senior Men’s Digicel ExxonMobil Cup Senior Women’s Santos Cup Under-19 Youth National Youth Competition
Franchises Our Pathway Clubs
Facebook X-twitter Youtube