PNGRFL announces Santos Cup Women’s Competition

Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League (PNGRFL) and Santos have announced the formation of the first ever National Women’s Rugby League Competition, to be known as the Santos Cup.

The PNGRFL, in partnership with Santos, PacificAus Sports and Kumul Minerals Holdings Limited, will support the women’s competition which will see talented female players compete in a six-team competition across seven weeks.

PNGRFL chief executive officer Stanley Hondina said the establishment of the women’s competition was a historic moment of rugby league in PNG.

“It is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the talent of our female players in a high-performance environment,” he said.

“It demonstrates the opening of our pathway to be more inclusive of females in the game.”
Santos country chair Leon Buskens said equal opportunity for women continues to be a priority for them and were proud to be an ongoing sponsor of women’s rugby league in PNG.

He said the Santos Cup is a testament of their commitment towards empowering women and girls.

“Through sports and rugby league, we are influencing mindsets and providing a great platform for our women and girls to achieve their dreams and to be heard and seen as a positive and powerful force in society."

The 2024 women’s competition will see the participation of the six franchises which are Central Dabaris, East New Britain Gurias, Goroka Lahanis, Lae Tigers, Mt. Hagen Eagles and the Port Moresby Vipers.

The competition will kick off with all teams playing a triple header on Saturday the 3rd of August at the Santos National Football Stadium in Port Moresby with matches to be played in Goroka, Kokopo, Lae and Minj in the coming rounds.

The Santos Cup will culminate on grand final day on the 15th of September 2024.