Papua New Guinea is granted a National Rugby League team starting in 2028

SYDNEY (AP) — A team from rugby league hotspot Papua New Guinea will enter the National Rugby League from 2028 after officially being granted a license. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Papua New Guinean counterpart James Marape met in Sydney on Thursday to shake hands over the deal, the culmination of two years of planning. The pair reached an in-principle agreement with the NRL in May, and have since been working out specifics. The as-yet-unnamed team is seen as key diplomatic tool for Australia to strengthen ties in the hotly-contested Pacific, particularly with increasing infrastructure efforts from China in the region. It will cost the Australian taxpayer 600 million Australian dollars ($380 million) over 10 years.