The PNG Chiefs, the newest expansion franchise in Australia’s top-tier National Rugby League (NRL), has sold out its commercial playing kit inventory ahead of its 2028 launch.
Ten founding partners have been established ahead of the Papua New Guinea-based franchise’s debut 2028 campaign, ranging from prominent international brands, regional heavyweights, and local partners.
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Bank South Pacific, the regional banking heavyweight, will be the principal partner of the PNG Chiefs, taking up the primary front-of-shirt sponsorship slot through the 2030 campaign (supporting the club’s first three seasons).
This is supported by three secondary ‘premier partners’, liquefied natural gas producer PNG LNG (upper back of jersey sponsor), local financial services brand Numbawan Super (lower back of shirt sponsor), and soft drinks giant Coca-Cola (sleeve sponsor).
The jersey inventory is rounded out by two third-tier ‘major partners’, agriculture and food supply firm Taylor Pacific, which is planting its logo on the sternum of the jersey, and regional Toyota dealer ELA Motors, which places the Toyota brand on the jersey shoulders.
A trio of locally-based major partners have also taken up sponsorship on the team’s shorts. Regional airline Air Niugini will be the front-of-short sponsor, while the K92 Mining business (headquartered in Canada but operating in Papua New Guinea) and South Pacific Brewery (SP Brewery) are the back-of-shorts sponsors.
Finally, Australian sportswear manufacturer Struddys, the club’s official apparel and kit partner and another in the major partner tier, will take branding presence on PNG Chiefs merchandise, including replica kits, which it will also sell.
Speaking on the announcement of these 10 partners, PNG Chiefs chief executive Lorna McPherson commented: “Seeing our first-ever playing kit filled with partners who are proudly Papua New Guinean and proudly standing alongside us fills me with great pride.
“It’s a proud moment for both the PNG Chiefs and our country, and having their support shows there is a genuine belief in what we’re building and the important role that this club can play for the people of Papua New Guinea.
“We’re incredibly thankful to our foundation partners for their support, both now and as we mark our official entry into the competition in 2028, and we look forward to them joining us on the journey as we proudly represent the people of Papua New Guinea.”
Per the GlobalData Sport NRL 2026 Sponsor Grid, the average NRL franchise receives around US$9.8 million per year in sponsorship revenue. As a new franchise, playing in a less economically developed region, the Chiefs will likely fall under that; however, the early move to secure a raft of major partners already shows that the team has a strong commercial baseline.
The establishment of the Chiefs franchise, which is financially backed by the government of Australia, is effectively a soft power play by the Australian government to bring Papua New Guinea closer to Australia diplomatically, in opposition to growing influence in the region from economic rival China.
Australia’s government will dispense as much as A$600 million (US$410 million) in funding to support the Chiefs over the first decade of its existence, with the aim of making the franchise financially self-sustainable by 2037.
Federal government funding will be dispensed in stages, with the first A$60 million assigned to fund the team’s license fee (A$3.5 million each for the league’s 17 current sides), A$290 million to fund the team over its first 10 years of operations, while the remaining A$250 million will be utilized for community initiatives, education, and infrastructure development.
Papua New Guinea’s export economy is centered around its natural commodity wealth, including valuable minerals like gold, copper, and cobalt, oil, liquefied natural gas, and agricultural products, making it a sought-after regional trade partner, with Australia, China, and Japan all competing for leverage in the market.
Australia, obviously, benefits from its close geographical and perhaps cultural ties to Papua New Guinea, and the establishment of the Chiefs, which comes with A$250 million in Australian government funding specifically marked for community initiatives, education, and infrastructure development, is a key part of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s play for stronger relations across the Pacific.
That businesses from the prominent aforementioned export sectors, including PNG LNG, K92 Mining, and Taylor Pacific, are represented in the first round of PNG Chiefs sponsors perhaps serves as an early proof of concept for Australia’s investment in the team.
