Just days ago, the Australian Government and the Papua New Guinean (PNG) Government announced an unprecedented $600 million-dollar (AUD) deal over a ten year period which would see the Pacific nation help develop the infrastructure necessary for an eventual national teams admission into the Australia’s domestic National Rugby League competition (NRL).
Whilst the exact details of the deal are yet to be disclosed to the general public, the deal hinges on the explicit promise that PNG will not enter into any security ties with China. It is understood that if PNG was to renege on this promise, then the Australian Government would be allowed to withdraw the funding, which in turn would force the NRL to drop the PNG team from its competition.
This deal is just the latest in a series of efforts from the Australian State to shore up its relationships with its ‘Pacific family’ and prevent the growing influence of China in the region. The last three years have seen the Albanese led Labor (ALP) Government make a more concentrated effort in the pacific after nine consecutive years of the conservative Liberal-National Party (LNP) in power. These previous nine years under the LNP saw many critics take aim at the conservative’s approach to foreign policy towards its Pacific neighbours. This included attempts to downplay climate change by undermining negotiations at the Pacific Islands Forum, and even cutting aid to several of these nations.
For some time, many Pacific leaders expressed frustration with the behaviour of the Australian Governments foreign policy under the LNP. This culminated in a security agreement between the Solomon Islands and China in 2022 which has evolved into deeper economic ties between the two countries. It also was a grave signifier of just how far Australia’s influence has waned in the region and how badly the relationship within the “Pacific family’ needed mending. Also perhaps, how a new path forward may need some fresh approaches.
This is how we arrive at this latest development.
Whilst ‘Sports Diplomacy’ is not a new phenomenon, to understand why this is an effective strategy one must understand the special link that Rugby League plays between these two vastly different countries.
Rugby League is a sport that originated in Northern England in the later 19th century, due to a dispute over player compensation within the amateur Rugby Union competitions. It went on to become a fairly popular sport but in only select areas of the World, in particular Australia and New Zealand. During Britain and Australia’s colonial rule over PNG, the game was introduced and quickly became a national past time, and now, PNG is the only country in the whole world that has officially designated Rugby League as its national sport. Even in Australia it is a dominant sport in only 3 of the 7 States and Territories. In the others it is hardly even shown on the television at the local pub, and it pales in comparison to the popularity of Aussie Rules or Soccer (football).
But in PNG, Rugby League has often been credited as a unifying force within the country with over 800 languages. As PNG’s Prime Minister James Marape said when announcing the deal alongside his Australian counterpart; ‘it is [about]… uniting the most diverse nation on the face of the planet.’
That is what makes this deal such a unique concept and why it’s such an intelligent strategic win for the Albanese Government, taking the opportunity to strengthen their diplomatic ties in a way that no rival nation in the area could offer, and for a relatively low cost too.
Whilst there is no suggestion that the deal offers veto power to Australia concerning any PNG security agreements, it does show the emerging trend of more transactional dynamics within the Pacific region, something that the LNP had been criticized for in the past. Importantly, this may be the first time a nation has managed to get PNG to opt into a deal of exclusivity regarding security.
PM Marape was sure to make note that the deal would not impact on PNG sovereignty or its ability to engage with trading partners, such as China who he named during the announcement.
But geopolitics aside, the logistics of creating a side based in Port Moresby ready to compete in the NRL by 2028 creates an interesting dilemma.
Since 2014, PNG have had a national team competing in a second-tier Rugby League competition, the QLD cup, and they have been competitive. Even going as far as winning the competition in 2017.
But the jump in quality and talent from the QLD Cup to the NRL is immense. It is hard to fathom even the best QLD Cup team being able to consistently beat the worst NRL team. So, the standard of competition is about to significantly increase for PNG.
The experience in the QLD cup has already illuminated several challenges for a team based in PNG. The amount of travel to and from Australia has proven to be costly and as such has relied on generous state funding along with sponsorships.
Additionally, Port Moresby (the capital of PNG) is largely recognised as one of the most dangerous cities in the world. A combination of intense poverty and slum areas that house around 40% of the population throughout the city, along with a police force with limited resources, has earned Port Moresby a reputation as an extremely unsafe city to travel to.
Violence alongside Rugby League matches in PNG has been a cause of concern for some time, although many steps have been taken to curb this and so far, recent major events including QLD cup games have been successful sell-out matches with relatively few violent incidences. It is expected that security measures and safety protocols will be further increased alongside the introduction of regular NRL matches and the frenzy that visiting stars may produce.
The committed money also has stipulations around allocations of certain funds towards creating and strengthening existing player development infrastructure, a move that may help youth in the country funnel their energies into productive channel, potentially curbing instances of youth crime. Whilst no exact figures around job creation for locals has been announced, it is expected to create a wide range of new positions for both locals and expats whilst the infrastructure is put in place in anticipation of the team’s entry into the NRL.
With an Australian general election set to take place somewhere in the new year, it is good to see the ALP take this opportunity to make a move where their main electoral rivals had failed. Critics online argue that this ‘cash splash’ during a cost-of-living crisis in Australia is money poorly spent, but this is the type of parochial thinking is exactly what saw the country lose their standing in the region and shows no consideration for the wider implications this deal has on a security front.
Whilst legitimate concerns remain around the logistics of fielding a PNG side in Australia’s domestic competition, and their ability to be competitive, I for one look forward to their inclusion in ‘the greatest game of all’.
Mitch Whaley
