Iliesa Tora
RNZ Pacific senior sports journalist
Four major
Pacific rugby league playing countries have hailed the
Pacific Rugby League Partnership announced in Brisbane on
Wednesday night.
The Australian Rugby League
Commission (ARLC) signed a landmark Statement of Partnership
with Pacific rugby league federations in the presence of the
prime ministers of Australia, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and
Tonga.
ARLC chairman Peter V’landys AM signed the
historic document alongside counterparts from the PNG Rugby
Football League, Tonga Rugby League XIII and Rugby League
Samoa.
There to witness the signing were PNG Prime
Minister James Marape, Samoan Prime Minister
Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Fosi Schmidt and
Tongan Prime Minister Lord Fatafehi Fakafanua, who joined
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Lord
Fakafanua said Tonga is proud to be part of the AU$250
million (NZ$298m), 10-year Pacific Rugby League Partnership
alongside the other Pacific Island nations backed by the
Australian government and the Australia Rugby
League.
“The Kingdom of Tonga is proud to be part of
the new Pacific Rugby League Partnership, a landmark
initiative that reflects our shared commitment to
strengthening the future of our Pacific region,” he
said.
“Sport has long united our Pacific nations, and
rugby league continues to inspire generations of athletes
across our region. Through this partnership, Tonga joins
Australia, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, and Samoa in creating new
opportunities for emerging Pacific players to develop and
succeed.
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“Beyond the game, the Pacific Rugby League
Partnership is an investment in our people. It will help
expand access to education, skills development, and
training, creating pathways that empower young Pacific
Islanders and strengthen our communities for generations to
come.”
La’auli told attendees at the signing that 50
percent of NRL players were of Pasifika heritage, including
the likes of Jason Taumalolo, Stephen Crichton, Payne Haas
and Jarome Luai.
“Investing in sport is also investing
in stronger community, and more prosperity for our future
and our region,” he said.
“Rugby league is more than a
game, it is a source of national pride, the way we bring
community together and a powerful platform to develop our
young people and presentation for new
opportunities.”
He said the partnership is a
transformational investment in the future of Pacific
youth.
“This strategic partnership is an investment in
our people. It will strengthen grassroots sport, improve
health and education outcomes, and create opportunities for
young Samoans to develop their talents while remaining
connected to their families, villages, and
communities.
“Together, we are building stronger
communities and inspiring the next generation.”
Fiji
National Rugby League (FNRL) board chairman Rajesh Singh,
who was at the signing event with his vice-chairman Etika
Rokobuli, described it as “a great day” for the
sport.
He said the door is open for NRL and NRLW
matches to be played in Pacific Island
nations.
According to the NRL, the deal is supported
by a $250m investment by the Australian government – a key
part of the broader $600m commitment, which includes support
for the entry of the PNG Chiefs into the NRL in 2028 – the
partnership will grow rugby league across the
Pacific.
Albanese said rugby league would be a
catalyst for social change and deepening Australia-Pacific
people-to-people and institutional links.
“From the
proud island nations of the Pacific, to the suburbs and
regions of Queensland and New South Wales, rugby league
unites us and inspires us,” he said.
“The first
signing for the PNG Chiefs, Jarome Luai is a powerful symbol
of that: a premiership player, Origin winner and an
Australian who takes pride in his Samoan heritage. The
partnership we launch today celebrates these
connections.
“Today, our Pacific family draws closer
together. We bond around a shared love of this great game, a
shared investment in our young people and their future and a
shared commitment to the region we call home.
“This is
a great day for rugby league, for all our nations and for
the next generation.”
The Pacific Rugby League
Partnership has three main pillars – community and
grassroots, pathways and academies, and elite and
international, with a strong focus on introducing young boys
and girls to rugby league early.
Initiatives of the
partnership include:
- Expanding existing youth
engagement and violence prevention programs to reach more
communities. - Establishing primary and high school
competitions in Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Samoa and Fiji,
supported by a network of teachers accredited as
coaches. - Setting up programs in each country to
promote girls’ competitions. - Building men’s and
women’s national competitions across age
groups. - Continuing to deliver Pacific Championship
matches and identify opportunities for NRL and NRLW matches
to be played in the
Pacific.
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