22/09/2026
🚨MEDIA RELEASE🚨
PRIME MINISTER’S XIII RETURNS TO PORT MORESBY FOR 2026 CLASH
PORT MORESBY, 21st September 2026: Rugby league fans in Papua New Guinea are set to witness the Prime Minister’s XIII as Papua New Guinea plays host once again to Australia at Santos National Football Stadium in Port Moresby.
The annual fixture brings together representative players from both countries and has become an important part of the rugby league calendar, providing a platform for emerging and established players to test themselves against high-level opposition.
For Papua New Guinea, the Prime Minister’s XIII represents more than a rugby league fixture. It continues to strengthen the sporting relationship between PNG and Australia while providing opportunities for local players to perform in front of a passionate home crowd.
PNGRFL Chairman Sandis Tsaka said the return of the Prime Minister’s XIII provides an important opportunity to celebrate the relationship between the two countries through rugby league.
“The Prime Minister’s XIII has become an important fixture for both Papua New Guinea and Australia, and we are pleased to welcome our Australian counterparts once again to Port Moresby.
Rugby league has a unique ability to bring our two countries together, and this event gives us an opportunity to showcase the passion of our people while strengthening the connection between our two rugby league communities.
“It is also an important opportunity for our players to experience representative football at home and for our supporters to see some of the emerging talent from both countries take the field at Santos National Football Stadium.”
2026 PRIME MINISTER’S XIII MATCH SCHEDULE
The 2026 Prime Minister’s XIII program will feature four representative clashes involving PNG’s junior and senior national teams.
Junior Orchids Select Side vs Junior Australian Schoolgirls Select Side
Date: 03rd of October, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM
Venue: Santos National Football Stadium, Port Moresby
Junior Kumuls Select Side vs Junior Australian Schoolboys Select Side
Date: 03rd of October, 2026
Time: 10:30 AM
Venue: Santos National Football Stadium, Port Moresby
PNG PM's XIII Women vs Australian Women’s Prime Minister’s XIII
Date: 03rd of October, 2026
Time: 12:15 PM
Venue: Santos National Football Stadium, Port Moresby
PNG PM's XIII Men vs Australian Men’s Prime Minister’s XIII
Date: 03rd of October, 2026
Time: 02:05 PM
Venue: Santos National Football Stadium, Port Moresby
The four-match program will provide a full day of representative rugby league, with the Junior Orchids and Junior Kumuls giving PNG’s emerging talent an opportunity to compete against Australian school representative sides before the senior women’s and men’s clashes.
PNGRFL Chief Executive Officer Stanley Hondina said the event complements the
organisation’s ongoing focus on developing players through domestic competitions and representative pathways.
“The Prime Minister’s XIII is an important part of the pathway for our players because it gives them the opportunity to step into a representative environment and test themselves against quality opposition.
“We have seen players progress through our domestic competitions and pathways into the Prime Minister’s XIII, and that is something we want to continue building. The inclusion of our women’s and junior teams is equally important because it gives more of our players the opportunity to experience representative football and understand what is required at the next level.”
The Junior Kumuls Select Side and Junior Orchids Select Side appointments will provide another important development opportunity for young Papua New Guinean players, with the teams drawing talent from the country’s domestic competitions and established development pathways.
The senior women and senior men will also use the fixture as an opportunity to test themselves against Australian opposition in front of a home crowd, continuing the longstanding representative relationship between the two nations.
The Prime Minister’s XIII has a long history in Papua New Guinea, with the first PNG-Australia men’s fixture played in Port Moresby in 2005. The women’s fixture was introduced in 2017, while junior representative fixtures were added in 2023, expanding the program to provide opportunities across multiple levels of the game.
Further details on the 2026 squads, coaching staff, ticketing, and other arrangements will be released by PNGRFL as preparations for the Prime Minister’s XIII continue.
ENDS.
