The PNG Foreign Affairs Minister Hon. Justin Tkatchenko, during his 4 days visit to New Zealand, held a meeting with the New Zealand Rugby League Chief Executive Officer Greg Peters in Auckland regarding the development of PNG Rugby League through partnership with the New Zealand Rugby League (NZRL). 

The meeting affirmed PNG to be part of the International Games proposition being proposed by the New Zealand Rugby League (NZRL). 

Minister Tkatchenko who was one of the initiators of Hunters Rugby League team, said the Intra-Super Cup Team Hunters was founded to expose players to the other NRL teams and feeder clubs.

He said since some of the players have joined NRL clubs, we have to basically start again from scraps and now after five years, all our players have been pouched and gone to other NRL teams or intra super cup teams.

Minister Tkatchenko further added that PNG have thousands of young potential rugby league players who can fit into that space and it is basically to get them properly identified and ensuring that they can be picked without fear or favour. 

Minister Tkatchenko highlighted that Papua New Guinea need more competitions to boost the people and it would be great to see New Zealand team playing with Papua New Guineans. 

Mr. Peters revealed that New Zealand had never had a professional rugby league competition in the country and they are looking forward to see if there is competition to give their talented players opportunity to take part. 

He also confirmed that there are about 30,000 players in New Zealand and a lot of that population is centered in Auckland with our massive Pacific Connection. 

Mr. Peters further highlighted that 2029 World Cup hasn’t been allocated and New Zealand has tentatively looked at that and wants to involve PNG. One of the challenges of international footy was costs as it is very expensive but NZRL is trying to build the International Games proposition. 

Mr. Peters affirmed that the key thing is to have the players introduced to international footy for four weeks in October-November so Papua New Guinea can be involved, and this will build the Pacific proposition so that the power of rugby leagues sits in the Southern Hemisphere including Papua New Guinea. 

Mr. Peters said this will be built from an international perspective so that they are talking to National Rugby League in bargaining the agreement.

He also stated that 46 percent of NRL players now are Pacifica origin so they’ve got the Pacifica people in the competition and it’s growing all the time.

Mr. Peters added that in every year internationally, they are looking at Australia, New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands, Papua New Guinea, Fiji and the indigenous All Stars teams playing the Pacific Cup coordinated by NRL and NZRL, and this as an opportunity to play some footy in Papua New Guinea at a different level.