National Rugby League

The Pacific’s contribution to rugby league is a source of pride for both Australian and Pacific communities. Almost half of all the players across the NRL Telstra Premiership and Queensland’s Intrust Super Cup have Pacific heritage.

Through PacificAus Sports, the NRL is strengthening its connections with the Pacific by: 

• developing pathways for the Pacific’s elite-level players and teams to play in Australian competitions such as the PNG Hunters in the Intrust Super Cup, and the Fiji Kaiviti Silktails in the Ron Massey Cup;
• providing advanced training opportunities for emerging NRL players in both Australia and the Pacific; 
• supporting Australian NRL clubs to travel to Pacific nations for trial and pre-season games, such as the pre-season game played in Port Moresby in February 2020 between the Canterbury Bulldogs and the Cronulla Sharks; and
• directly supporting the development of both men’s and women’s teams in Papua New Guinea.

The NRL is also developing an NRL Pacific Fan Engagement App to share the excitement and the values of the NRL competition with Pacific communities.