Rugby League is Australia’s latest weapon in soft war with China

Rugby League – the greatest game of all, being used as a political tool – who would have thought?

In the age of mass media and digital influence, global power struggles are taking on new shapes. The Australian government has turned to an unlikely ally – the NRL – to fend off China’s growing influence in the Pacific.

Australia is spending $600 million over the next decade to launch a Papua New Guinea-based National Rugby League (NRL) team to win the hearts and minds of their Pacific neighbours.

What looks like a bold sports expansion is, in fact, a carefully orchestrated geopolitical play. It’s soft diplomacy.

The NRL’s expansion into Papua New Guinea (PNG) – overlooking bids from a second New Zealand team, the Brisbane Tigers, Adelaide, and Fiji – seemed unlikely at first, a logistical nightmare filled with countless hurdles. But behind the press releases, it turns out to be part of a coordinated effort tackle Beijing in a region that’s fast becoming a frontline in the contest for regional power.

“The PNG NRL team will be a catalyst for economic growth,” said Minister for Pacific Island Affairs Pat Conroy on Wednesday, after unveiling the 19th NRL team’s board of directors. “But more than that – we’re underscoring our shared interest in a stable and prosperous region.”

For the humble rugby league fan, the expansion into Port Moresby is an exciting prospect to grow the game internationally, in a country where rugby league is more like a religion than just a national sport. But off the field, it’s more about diplomatic strategy than meets the eye.

Footy as foreign policy

Papua New Guinea is rugby league mad. It’s the only country in the world where the sport is officially the national game. The field is a sacred battleground. The players are God-like. And for Australia, that passion presents a unique opportunity – a chance to win hearts and minds through a shared sporting culture in a region increasingly falling under China’s growing economic supremacy.

“This is about nation-building,” said ARLC Chairman Peter V’landys. “This club will be a beacon of hope – but it also brings our two countries closer together at a time when it really matters.”

PNG has long been a key strategic ally for Australia – not just because it’s rich in natural resources like gold, copper, nickel, oil, and gas, but because it serves as a strategic buffer between Australia and potential adversaries.

In recent years, China’s interest in the region has surged; often through infrastructure loans, diplomatic outreach, and back-door talks of possible security deals.

That’s why, tucked into the NRL expansion agreement, is a security clause that allows Australia to walk away from its $600 million, 10-year investment if PNG signs a defence pact with China.

“There’s a termination clause,” V’landys confirmed on Wednesday. “But we’re confident our friends in PNG wouldn’t do that.”

Australia’s strategic scrum

The idea of launching an NRL franchise in PNG brought about mixed feelings in the rugby league community. Logistical hurdles, safety concerns, and infrastructure gaps made it a high-risk move. But for the suits based in Canberra, teaming up with the NRL was seen as a smarter long-term play than going toe-to-toe with China.

PNG’s deal with the NRL and the Australian Government is about more than sport. It’s a cultural alliance – building influence through something the public can see, feel, and rally behind. It’s powerful example of soft diplomacy, and could be fruitful… just as long as the PNG government holds up its end of the bargain.

The NRL’s 19th team is due to launch in 2028, based in PNG’s capital of Port Moresby, but will be heavily funded by Australian taxpayers. While some critics question the Albanese government’s price tag, officials say the foreign policy wins for Australia are already rolling in.

On Wednesday, Australian officials received secured assurances from PNG that it won’t enter into any new security agreements with Beijing – a direct response to the shock of China’s 2022 security pact with the Solomon Islands – which it identifies as a potential security threat in the Pacific.

Crime, corruption, and control

But even a perfectly executed soft-power play can unravel fast.

PNG faces some of the highest crime rates in the Pacific. Armed robberies, kidnappings, and carjackings are common – especially around Port Moresby. The UK government’s official travel advice warns travellers to exercise a high degree of caution.

Last year, Port Moresby erupted in riots that killed at least 22, while causing over $400 million in damage, after police and military officers walked off the job due to pay disputes.

This kind of volatility is why Australian officials are planning a “resort-style” compound to house players, their families, and support staff. We’re talking about guarded entrances and controlled zones – that deliver Aussie-standard facilities – an elite enclave designed to shield and protect athletes from both criminal threats and political controversy.

After recently touring the area, V’landys is optimistic: “They’ll be on a permanent holiday – except when they train and play.”

Safe or sitting ducks

Yet, the fact remains, it might only take one serious breach to sink the entire project.

Such a highly paid, high-profile squad operating in a vulnerable environment sounds like a magnet for both local crime syndicates and geopolitical sabotage. To mitigate these issues, Sport Integrity Australia will work alongside PNG and Australian law enforcement to monitor threats, from organised crime to political meddling.

At the same time, there’s the question hanging over every contract offer – is the constant threat enough to warn off high profile players, or the family man? Why choose life in a glorified compound when you could be having brunch with your family on a beach in Sydney, Perth or the Gold Coast?

However, PNG-born former NRL and Super League star David Mead, says all the concerns about safety and chaos are overblown.

“I think they’ll be the safest people in PNG,” Mead told the SEN League podcast on Wednesday. “People will fight to protect them. They’ll be household names.”

He admits there are some “no go zones” in the country but says the players will be well educated in places to avoid.

Politically motivated ‘Angels’

One proposed name for the team is the PNG Angels, a tribute to the “Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels” – the heroic villagers who helped Australian troops along the Kokoda Track during World War II. In a bid to link football with the two nation’s shared history, PNG Prime Minister James Marape said the name should honour the past while carrying the torch for the future.

The PM has insisted that the team’s identity must reflect PNG’s national story and its deep ties with Australia – especially with the country’s 50th anniversary of independence coming up this September.

Marape has therefore made his position clear. The strategy, he said, is about uniting Papua New Guineans and strengthening their bond with Australia for generations to come.

“It must be something every child identifies with, and that every Australian also feels connected to.”

He said the team name – and the accompanying team song – should speak to both legacy and ambition. “Only those who don’t forget their history will excel into the future.”

Full-time whistle

With China looking for regional dominance, every move in the Pacific these days is a power play. And this might be Australia’s boldest one yet.

Will a rugby league team really keep China at bay? For now, it seems Australia is willing to roll the dice with the NRL.