My former employer, I was the first director of policy and planning there in the seventies, the PNG National Broadcasting Corporation, is seeking to boost the chances of a PNG team competing in Australia’s National Rugby League competition by ensuring Port Moresby has a sporting stadium of international standard. This is one of the criteria the NRL mandates to allow new teams into what is one of the world’s toughest sporting contests.

The concept of having a team in the NRL has been raised by PNG Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare and the NBC, through its new television station, the National Television Service (NTS), has been the first organisation to help the Papua Rugby League upgrade its current playing ground with a K10,000 donation to conduct a feasibility study.

“The intention of Sir Michael is to put a team into the NRL and, in order for that to happen, we have to put our plans together and have the figures and facts correct before the groundwork begins for a new stadium,” said PRL chairman Solomon Ravu, who believes the partnership PRL has with NBC will go a long way to make that concept a reality.