10/05/2025
PNG NRL Academy Grand Finals to Unearth Future Rugby League Stars
Papua New Guinea’s top junior rugby league talent will take centre stage in Port Moresby this Saturday, 10 May, at the PNG NRL Academy National School Championships Grand Final Day at Santos National Football Stadium.
Launched in 2024 and supported by the Australian Government through the PNGAus Partnership, the PNG NRL Academy identifies and develops the next generation of male and female rugby league players across four divisions: Year 7/8 Boys, Year 9/10 Boys, Open Age Girls, and Open Age Boys.
The Academy selects standout players from school competitions in six regions—Central, Goroka, NGI, Lae, Mount Hagen, and NCD—offering a 22- week training program based on Australian NRL club models. Players develop technical and tactical skills, as well as life skills like discipline, communication, and wellbeing.
Regional pool matches held in April determined the finalists in three divisions—Year 7/8 Boys, Year 9/10 Boys, and Open Age Girls—who will now battle it out for national honours on Grand Final Day.
Australia is proud to support pathways in PNG rugby league, and with the junior Orchids and Kumuls excelling against their Australian counterparts the impact of this program is clear.
Since PNG’s NRL inclusion announcement, interest in the Academy has surged, and with Australia’s continued support, the pathways program is set to grow even stronger.
Goroka Open Age Girls coach Rutha Omenefa, whose team has made the Grand Final in her first full season, praised the Academy’s coach development.
“As a former player stepping into coaching, this program has given me the confidence and structure to grow and lead,” she said.
The Open Age Girls division is also a key selection pathway into the Santos Cup, PNG’s semi-professional women’s competition. In 2024, 17 Academy players featured across four regional teams.
This year also marks the debut of national tournaments for the Year 7/8 and 9/10 Boys divisions. Lae head coach Dennis Miall, whose teams reached both Grand Finals, credited the Academy’s link with schools rugby league.
“It gives young players a safe, structured platform to grow. Now, they’re confident, capable, and ready for this big stage,” he said.
The Open Age Boys division will transition in 2025 to the new PNGRFL-run National Youth Competition, which kicks off on 17 May.