The head of the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) has doubled down on its defiant stand over the name of the PNG Chiefs franchise.
Commissioner Peter Beattie said they will not compromise in the face of attempts by New Zealand Rugby to prevent use of the name of the NR’s incoming PNG Chiefs franchise.
NZ Rugby has taken court action in New Zealand as it claims its trademarked brand for the Chiefs Super Rugby franchise is under threat from the new NRL team.
While the High Court last week declined NZ Rugby’s bid for an interim injunction on use of the PNG Chiefs name, the dispute is expected to go to a full hearing in February or March next year.
PNG news outlet The National reports Beattie saying the ARLC stands firm that the NRL will continue to use the name.
He said the name of the franchise was decided by PNG in a competition that sought public input, and that it will remain the name.
Justice Karen Grau, the judge who declined NZ Rugby’s bid for an interim injunction on the ARLC’s use of the name, said her court could not prevent this week’s launch because it was in a different jurisdiction.
She said it would be “next to impossible” to rebrand the team at this stage, noting the critical juncture that the PNG Chiefs are at as they try and recruit players to build a good squad for their inaugural NRL season in 2028.
Justice Grau also noted that it was clear the ALRC was “never going to back down and change the name of its new team in response to the NZRU’s concerns”.
NZ Rugby indicated to the court that it was “taking active steps to monitor and, if necessary, oppose ARLC’s application to register and use the PNG Chiefs mark in Australia”.
The CEO of the rugby Chiefs, Simon Graafhuis RNZ Pacific last week that since NZ Rugby holds the trademark for the Chiefs brand in Australia, legal action in Australia remained a possibility.
Meanwhile, the judge also said that in order to avoid brand confusion, the ARLC and PNG Chiefs had undertaken to make efforts to ensure the team’s full name is used.
She also said they were willing to geo-block some of the PNG Chiefs digital media output as a good faith gesture to mitigate risks around use of the Chiefs moniker in the New Zealand market.
