PAPUA New Guinea Rugby Football League (PNGRFL) is encouraging all Associate and Affiliated Leagues to complete their registration by Feb 27.

General Manager – Community Rugby League Mark Mom said new and existing leagues interested in affiliating with PNGRFL must reach out to their respective regional confederate points of contact.

“We want to ensure all league registrations are completed by Feb 27 to allow sufficient time for compliance checks and player registrations.”

“Each region has designated points of contact, and we strongly encourage non-affiliated leagues to reach out to our officers.

“Affiliating with PNGRFL not only enables leagues to formally join their regional confederates, but also allows PNGRFL to provide support through upskill in league administration, coaching, refereeing, and other development programs.”

To encourage league registration, PNGRFL introduced an incentive kit program in 2025, which will continue into the 2026 season.

“In 2025, we provided incentive kits to support leagues in running their competitions. These kits included game-day equipment such as goal post pads and corner posts, footballs, loud hailers, as well as audio systems. We will continue this initiative in 2026, with kits to be distributed prior to the commencement of competitions.”

Among the compliant leagues that received incentive kits, Aroma Coast Rugby League Chairman, Chris Enara, welcomed the initiative.

“I believe the incentive kits will greatly benefit the rural communities where Aroma Coast Rugby League operates, especially in village settings.”

“They help create a professional game-day environment, shift mindsets, and give communities a real sense of the standards expected in rugby league,” Enara said.

NCD Schools Rugby League President, Arnold Gende, also highlighted the impact of the program.

“This is the first time we have received this level of support compared to previous seasons, this year will be different. The incentive kits are a game-changer, particularly in improving the standard of officiating.”

League affiliation registrations close on Feb 27 while player registrations close on May 1 for Associate (Schools) and Affiliate (Senior) competitions.

Competition schedules are as follows; Associate Leagues: (April 3-July 28), Affiliate Leagues (May 1-Sept 27 and Club Championships: Oct 9-25.