Papua New Guinea will have an NRL team from 2028. 

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape have officially confirmed the expansion to media in Sydney. 

They'll be the first-non-Australian-based club since the Auckland Warriors were established in 1995. 

Although neither leader have divulged details of the discussion, a Pacific diplomatic source confirmed there’s a commitment from PNG to not enter into security or military arrangements with China. 

Australian Sports Columnist Peter Fitzsimmons told Heather du Plessis-Allan that it’s a clever way to do it, as the level of enthusiasm people in Papua New Guinea have for NRL is like nothing he’s ever come across. 

He says it’s a very interesting decision. 

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