PNG Chiefs unveil logo and jersey in Port Moresby

The PNG Chiefs, the NRL’s newest franchise, has launched its logo and jersey in Port Moresby ahead of its 2028 debut.

The club, which is locked in a legal battle with New Zealand Rugby (NZR) over trademark rights to the “Chiefs” name, revealed its brand identity and kit on Wednesday morning.

The launch went ahead after New Zealand’s High Court declined an urgent application by NZR for an interim injunction to stop the unveiling.

PNG’s Prime Minister James Marape said the PNG Chiefs gives every child in the country a dream.

“Every child in PNG, this is your moment in the logo and the team colour that we are unveiling. You are in that focus,” he said.

PNG Rugby Football League chairman Sandis Tsaka said it has been a long road but all the sacrifice has been worth it.

“It’s been a collective effort from a lot of people, partners, sponsors, people in rugby league, the Australian government, the Papua New Guinea government,” said on TV Wan.

“It’s been a team effort to get this far and finally get the nod for the bid and since then it’s grown in leaps and bounds,” he said.

“It has snowballed the work that everyone has done to make this dream come true and today to actually officially launch the Chiefs as a franchise for 2028 is a testament to a lot of work, a lot of sacrifices, commitment from a lot of people, partners, friends.

“We are just excited that the Chiefs brand has brought together all of Papua New Guinea basically to get behind this franchise and build a team that is truly Papua New Guinean.”

Australian Minister for the Pacific Pat Conroy said the Chiefs is more than just sport, with its importance strengthening the relationship between PNG and Australia.

“This team is not just about sport,” he said at the launch, where he represented the government of Australia.

“It will drive social cohesion, unite those thousands tribes, it will also drive powerful education and gender outcomes throughout the Pacific through the rugby league partnerships.”

Conroy said the Australian government is committed to ensuring the PNG Chiefs will be a success, with its grant of AU$250 million geared to help the sport grow in the Pacific, with AU$90 million for PNG rugby league grassroots programs and development.

ARL commissioner general Peter Beattie said the PNG Chiefs is a partnership between PNG and Australia and will count on all partners working together as a team.

He said seeing the logo and club identity launched was an inspiration, especially with questions raised by New Zealand Rugby in court around the Chiefs brand.

Beattie said the ARL is not compromising as the PNG Chiefs name was decided by the people of PNG.

He added they will continue to fight the push by NZR and the Chiefs of Waikato to stop the club from using the name.

“We said no, we will not compromise. We won but it is not finished and we will continue,” he said.

PNG Chiefs chief executive Lorna McPherson said the unveiling of the logo and jersey is the fruition of many Papua New Guineans belief and dreams that one day there will be a PNG team they can cheer for in the NRL.

McPherson expressed pride and excitement for the club and its future and said the logo was designed with a lot of factors taken in, to reflect the PNG culture and its people.