SANTOS ANNOUNCE 3-YEAR SPONSORSHIP FOR THE PNG ORCHIDS
Santos announced their continued naming rights sponsorship of Papua New Guinea's national women’s rugby league team, the Orchids.
The 3-year sponsorship investment by Santos started this year and will also cover the junior and school rugby league development programs, technical, coaching, and support staff, travel and accommodation, and international fixtures for the Orchids such as the current Pacific Championships leading up to the World Cup in 2026.
Santos Country Chair PNG, Leon Buskens, said Santos was proud to be associated with the women’s game in PNG as an advocate of women’s empowerment and in line with its values in building a better future.
“At Santos, our purpose is about creating a better world for everyone by delivering positive outcomes in the areas where we operate, and the Orchids provide a great platform for our young women and girls to realise their full potential and grow as better individuals in their communities through the sport of rugby league.
“Our sponsorship goes beyond the logo on the jersey, it’s about advocating for all the women and girls in our families, our communities and our country using our national sport.”
Santos has been a leader in elite women’s rugby league in PNG, starting with their sponsorship in 2017 under Oil Search when the first ever Orchids team was selected.
This year, Santos became the naming rights sponsor to the first ever national women’s competition, the Santos Cup.
CEO for PNGRFL, Stanley Hondina, was grateful for Santos being such a great supporter of our women’s game.
“On behalf of the PNGRFL Board, I want to say thank you to the Board, Management and Staff of Santos for their continued belief and support of our women’s game in PNG. We are truly grateful, and it is through partners such as Santos that make our game better and allows us at PNGRFL to deliver our women’s programs.
“The start of the Santos Cup this year gave us a platform for our women and girls to aspire to, with the Orchids being the ultimate goal.”
The Santos PNG Orchids are currently taking part in the Pacific Cup Championships against Australia and New Zealand.