International Rugby League returned over the weekend in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea where a combined Australia Prime Ministers XIII went to play against PNG’s National RL team.
The game ended 30-18 to Australia in a closer than expected result. Indigenous Star Tyrell Sloan, only put the game to bed in the 80th minute when the game was in the balance at 24 points to 18. Other Current names featuring State of Origin stars across Queensland and New South Wales, as well as prospects for the future Kangaroos team featured in Port Moresby, to help promote the game of Rugby league as well as Bilateral political ties the two countries.
Recent political tensions in Oceania and key regional trade deals between China & The Solomon Islands disputed territories within South East Asia had the Australian government attention. Australia and indeed the United States to get moving and tame territorial land claims made by China in the South China sea required a call to action by both democratic partners.
**A brief background**
Papua New Guinea is a country with roughly 10 Million people and covers 460,000 square kilometres – an area slightly larger than the U.S State of California. With the Solomon Islands to the East and Indonesia to the West, the island of New Guinea (together with West Papua) is one of the last stop gap if the situation ever arose where China and Australia became involved in a direct wartime conflict.
**Recent War Time in the Pacific nations**
Japan invaded the island New Guinea in 1941 and reached Papua the following year. Allied forces, mostly comprised of Australian Soldiers, drove the Empire of Japan out of the island in a campaign from 1942-1945. It is estimated that the Japanese army sustained losses of up to 200,000 troops. Around 97% of their causalities came from the allies successful Naval blockade of New Guinea and the Netherlands East Indies which starved the Japanese troops of vital food, and medical supplies to their Garrisons, eventually driving the collapse of the Japanese army across the Island of New Guinea.
** The Prime Minister Speaks**
Speaking in Brisbane during August this year, the the PM announced that the Australian Government would help fund $7 Million into regional pacific International Rugby League. The taxpayer funded competition would be called The Pacific Championship, involving men’s and women’s teams from Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, New Zealand, Samoa, PNG and Tonga.
The Prime Minister also announced that he would like to see a Port-Moresby based team enter the club based NRL by 2025, with a club team based in Port Moresby where fans could fly out from Queensland to attend club games. The Prime Minister alongside Pacific Minister, Pat Conroy, said the move for 2025 was to mark PNG’s 50 year anniversary of independence from Australia in addition to ‘counter China’s growing influence.’
Speaking alongside the Prime Minister Albanese, Minister Conray added, ““Given around half the players in the NRL are of Pasifika heritage, and our shared love of sport, this competition will bring people from across the Pacific even closer together”.
Highlights: Australia PM XI vs Png PM XI 30-24.
