Papua New Guinea
Badge of Papua New Guinea team
Team information
NicknameThe Kumuls
Governing bodyPNGRFL
RegionAsia-Pacific
Head coachJustin Holbrook
CaptainKyle Laybutt
Most capsRhyse Martin (15)
Top try-scorerDavid Mead (10)
Top point-scorerRhyse Martin (132)
Home stadiumNational Football Stadium
IRL ranking6th
Uniforms
First colours
Team results
First game
 England 40–12 Papua New Guinea 
(Port Moresby, PNG; 6 July 1975)
Biggest win
 Papua New Guinea 64–0 United States 
(Port Moresby, PNG; 12 November 2017)
Biggest defeat
 Australia 82–0 Papua New Guinea 
(Townsville, Australia; 7 October 2000)
World Cup
Appearances7 (first time in 1985–1988)
Best resultQuarterfinals (2000, 2017, 2021 )

The Papua New Guinea national rugby league team represents Papua New Guinea in the sport of rugby league football.

In Papua New Guinea, Rugby League is a highly popular sport and is regarded as the country's national sport. The national side are known as the Kumuls ("birds-of-paradise" in Tok Pisin).

History

Rugby league in Papua New Guinea was first played in the late forties; it was introduced to the nation by Australian soldiers stationed there during and after the Second World War. Papua New Guinea were admitted to the game's International Federation in 1974. On 6 July 1975, at Lloyd Robson Oval, in Port Moresby the Kumuls played their first ever international. They were beaten 40-12 by England. The English team were en route to Australia and New Zealand to fulfil away fixtures during the 1975 World Cup.

They first entered the Rugby League World Cup for the 1985-88 competition, though it was not until 2000 that they won away from home. In 1987 The Kumuls staged their first full test playing tour of Britain, after playing BARLA opposition in 1979. The 1987 Tour had The Kumuls play both BARLA and for the first Professional opposition.

On Tuesday 20 October 1987, Cumbria met Papua New Guinea before a crowd of 3,750 at the Recreation Ground, Whitehaven. Cumbria won 22–4. Four days later Papua New Guinea played a Test which was also a World Cup match against Great Britain. They lost the test 42–0 at Central Park, Wigan.

During the 1988 Great Britain Lions tour of Australasia a Test match was played at Port Moresby which like the match at Wigan in 1987 was a World Cup match. Which they also lost 42-22. Later that year Papua New Guinea played a World Cup match against Australia in Wagga Wagga, the Kangaroos recording a then international record winning margin of 62 points with a 70–8 win. Australian winger Michael O'Connor crossed for four tries and kicked seven goals for a personal points haul of 30, which could have been 44 had he not missed seven kicks at goal. In 1990 Papua New Guinea played host to a touring Great Britain, the series ended in a 1–1 draw.

On Sunday 27 October 1991, Papua New Guinea met Wales at Vetch Field, Swansea. Roared on by a fervent crowd of 11,422; Wales won by a record 68-0 margin, scoring thirteen tries. Papua New Guinea never recovered and lost all five matches in Britain, conceding 232 points in the process, and won only one of their four matches in France.

Papua New Guinea wound up their 1991 tour of Europe with a World Cup rated Test match against France, which was played on Sunday 24 November at the Stade Albert Domec, Carcassonne. Despite Papua New Guinea leading 8–4 at half-time; France defeated their visitors 28–14.

The Kumuls hosted Australia for a two test series in October 1991 (won 2-0 by the Kangaroos), and also hosted Great Britain during the 1992 Lions tour of Australasia.

Papua New Guinea travelled to England to compete in the 1995 World Cup under coach Joe Tokam and captain Adrian Lam.[1] In their group was Tonga and New Zealand, against whom they failed to win a match.

In 1996 Bob Bennett, brother of the famous Wayne Bennett, was appointed the Kumuls' coach.[2] Also, in 1996, Adrian Lam captained the 'Papua New Guinea National Rugby League Team' against the Australian Kangaroos (52-6 win to Australia). Bob Bennett coached the 2000 World Cup Kumuls team to the qualification two the pool were the kumuls made it into the top 4 teams in the world so the 2000 World Cup Kumuls team was rated the best kumuls team.

They were granted automatic qualification to the 2008 World Cup but were placed in a pool with the top three teams, Australia, New Zealand and England, and failed to win a match in the tournament.

PNG automatically qualified for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup having reached the quarter-finals of the previous Rugby League World Cup. The 2021 tournament will take place in England.

2010 controversy

The Papua New Guinea team experienced huge difficulties leading to the 2010 Rugby League Four Nations Tournament, as politicians clashed for control over the game and the governing body, the PNGRFL, was split over issues concerning junior development, the national team and the Papua New Guinea NRL bid. This caused Adrian Lam to retire as head coach of the Kumuls in September 2010[3][4] while recently retired captain Stanley Gene, who had never coached a side before, was named his replacement.[5] The governing board were adamant that more Papua New Guinea-based players should be in the squad, and fewer Australia-based players should be picked. In early October the squad was announced for the tournament and consisted of 12 PNG-based players with captain Paul Aiton being the only NRL player.[6] Whilst the Australian team for the tournament was worth an estimated A$10 million, local newspapers calculated the Kumuls value at around A$670,000.

Despite the Australian media treating the defeat of the Papua New Guinean team as a mere formality, with the team having odds of 125–1 to win the tournament, the players and journalists at home were positive that the Kumuls could make a lasting impression in the tournament.[7] After their first up 42–0 defeat against Australia, the team's enthusiasm and crunching tackles were praised, but ball control and creativity let the team down hugely.[8] However the team faced much more criticism after their 76-12 thrashing suffered at the hands of New Zealand, with fans angry at the poor display from the players[9] and some questioning the credentials of new coach Stanley Gene.[10] Days after the match a broader look at the sport in the country occurred with one assessment concluding that rugby league was poorly managed[11] and former PNG great Marcus Bai called on clubs to supply a greater number of representative standard players especially from the New Guinea Islands region which had supplied five of this year's team.[12] The way politics had made its way into the governing of the sport was also condemned.[13]

2015 Pacific Rugby League Test

In May 2015, Papua New Guinea took on Fiji in the 2015 Melanesian Cup at Cbus Super Stadium. The International was part of a triple header which also included the Polynesian Cup, between Samoa and Tonga, and the Junior Kangaroos against the Junior Kiwis. The Kumuls never really troubled the Fijians after handling errors and poor decisions led to the Bati easily winning the inaugural Melanesian Cup by 22–10.

2016 Pacific Rugby League Test

In May 2016, Papua New Guinea took on Fiji in the 2016 Melanesian Cup at Pirtek Stadium. The International was part of a triple header which also included the Polynesian Cup, between Samoa and Tonga, and the Junior Kangaroos against the Junior Kiwis. In this year's test, the Kumuls had more experienced players and it paid off. Despite being in a similar situation with the half time score, they managed to make a miraculous comeback not many saw coming, to record their first win 24–22 on away shores since the 2000 World Cup.

2017 Pacific Rugby League Test

The PNG Kumuls won their second consecutive Pacific Cup test victory with a 32–22 victory over the Cook Islands at Campbelltown Stadium in Sydney, Australia.

2017 Rugby League World Cup

The PNG Kumuls won all their pool games in Port Moresby before losing to England in Melbourne in the quarter-final [14] of the 2017 RLWC.

2018 Pacific Rugby League Test

The PNG Kumuls won their third consecutive Ox & Palm Pacific Cup test victory with a 26–14 victory over Fiji Bati at Campbelltown Stadium in Sydney, Australia.[15]

2019 Oceania Cup and GB Lions Tour

The PNG Kumuls lost both their 2019 Oceania Cup (rugby league) test matches with a 24–6 loss to Toa Samoa[16] at Leichhardt Oval in Sydney, Australia and a 22–20 loss to Fiji Bati[17] in Christchurch, New Zealand . The Kumuls ended the season on a high defeating the Great Britain Lions 28–10 in Port Moresby.[18]

2022 Pacific Rugby League Test

The Kumuls defeated a full strength Fiji Bati 24-14 on June 25 at Campbelltown Stadium.[19]

2022 Rugby League World Cup

The PNG Kumuls will be based in Warrington[20] for the 2021 RLWC. The World Cup will be held between October 15 and November 19.[21] Kumuls coach Stanley Tepend will be guided by his mentor/ Coaching Director Shane Flanagan.[22] The PM's XIII lost to Australia PM's XIII on September 25 at Suncorp Stadium as part of both teams world cup preparations.[23] The Kumuls bowed out in the quarterfinals after losing to hosts, England.[24]

Players

Current squad

The Papua New Guinean squad selected for the 2023 Pacific Rugby League Championships. Club information are as of 4 November 2023.[25]
Statistics for Papua New Guinea and the players' NRL club records are drawn from the website, Rugby League Project, and include the Pacific Bowl Final on 5 November 2023.

J# Player Age Position(s) PNG Kumuls Club NRL SL PNG Hunters
& Other Reps
Dbt M T G F P CM TM CM TM
1Alex Johnston28Fullback, Wing20191030012 South Sydney Rabbitohs21421400 4 1 1
2Robert Derby21Wing2022430012 North Queensland Cowboys1100 1
3Zac Laybutt21Centre2023325018 North Queensland Cowboys4400 1
4Rodrick Tai24Centre202262008 Papua New Guinea Hunters000 1 34
5Nene Macdonald29Wing, Centre20131690044 Leeds Rhinos982022 2 2
6Kyle Laybutt28Five-eighth20191125018 Sunshine Coast Falcons200 2
7Lachlan Lam25Halfback, Five-eighth20171060024 Leigh Leopards313232
8Epel Kapinias25Prop, Second-row2022430012 Papua New Guinea Hunters000 2 50
9Edwin Ipape24Hooker201992008 Leigh Leopards03131 11
10Valentine RichardProp202331004 Papua New Guinea Hunters000 1 4
11Rhyse Martin30Second-row2014175530126 Leeds Rhinos25104104 1
12Daniel Russell27Second-row2019102008 St. George Illawarra Dragons3300 1
13Jack de Belin32Lock, Prop202330000 St. George Illawarra Dragons20520500 3 2
14Judah Rimbu22Hooker, Halfback202330000 Papua New Guinea Hunters000 2 46
15Liam Horne26Hooker202230000 Castleford Tigers055
16Junior Rop29Lock, Prop202320000 Papua New Guinea Hunters000 2 45
17Nixon Putt28Second-row20171340016 Central Queensland Capras000 2 46
18Jacob Alick24Second-row, Lock202270000 Gold Coast Titans5500
19Wellington Albert29Prop20131330012 London Broncos01515 1 20
20Keven Appo24Second-row202230000 Bradford Bulls033 41
21Benji Kot26Second-row, Centre202321004 Papua New Guinea Hunters000 1 41
Justin Olam29Centre20161470028 Melbourne Storm10410400 2 21
Cruise Ten22Lock00000 Souths Logan Magpies000 2
McKenzie Yei26Second-row, Prop202241004 Featherstone Rovers011 35

Notes

Competitive record

Below is the list of Papua New Guinea's international head-to-head record as of 5 November 2023.[26]

Country Matches Won Drawn Lost Win percentage For Aga Diff
 Australia1000100%62528–466
Australian Aboriginies30030%40118–78
 Cook Islands7700100%27094+176
 England50050%56190–134
 Fiji15100566.67%353251+102
 France1441928.57%249281–32
 Great Britain920722.22%146298–152
 Ireland1100100%146+8
 New Zealand1810175.55%226812–586
Māori people New Zealand Maori12201016.67%269396–127
New Zealand New Zealand XIII20020%2442–18
 Samoa20020%1062–52
 Scotland1100100%3820+18
 South Africa1100100%160+16
 Tonga971177.78%322179+143
 United States1100100%640+64
 Wales520340.00%104146–42
Total1153927433.91%22633423–1160

World Cup

World Cup record
Year Round Position GP W L D
19541977did not participate
AustralasiaFranceUnited Kingdom 1985–88Fourth place4/58260
AustralasiaFranceUnited Kingdom 1989–92Fifth place5/58080
United Kingdom 1995Group stage6/102011
FranceUnited Kingdom 2000Quarter-finals6/164310
Australia 2008Group stage10/103030
EnglandWales 2013Group stage13/143030
AustraliaNew ZealandPapua New Guinea 2017Quarter-finals5/144310
England 2021Quarter-finals7/164310
Australia 2026 qualified
Total0 Titles3611241

Tri-Nations / Four Nations

Tri-Nations / Four Nations record
Year Round Position GP W L D
19992006did not participate
AustraliaNew Zealand 2010Fourth place4/43030
20112016did not participate
Total0 Titles1/93030

Pacific Cup

Pacific Cup record
Year Round Position GP W L D
Papua New Guinea 1975Runners-up2/44220
New Zealand 1977Third place3/54220
Cook Islands 1986did not participate
Samoa 1986
Tonga 1990Group stage5/83120
New Zealand 1992did not participate
Fiji 1994
New Zealand 1997Third place3/64220
New Zealand 2004did not participate
New Zealand 2006
Papua New Guinea 2009Champions1/52200
Total1 Title5/126420

IRL Rankings

Official rankings as of 21 December 2023
RankChangeTeamPts %
1 Steady Australia100.00
2 Steady New Zealand91.00
3 Increase 1 England74.00
4 Decrease 1 Samoa70.00
5 Steady Tonga54.00
6 Steady Papua New Guinea50.00
7 Steady Fiji49.00
8 Increase 1 France24.00
9 Decrease 1 Lebanon24.00
10 Increase 3 Cook Islands22.00
11 Decrease 1 Serbia19.00
12 Increase 6 Netherlands17.00
13 Increase 1 Italy15.00
14 Increase 5 Malta15.00
15 Increase 1 Greece14.00
16 Decrease 4 Ireland14.00
17 Decrease 6 Wales13.00
18 Decrease 3 Jamaica10.00
19 Decrease 2 Scotland9.00
20 Increase 8 Ukraine7.00
21 Increase 6 Czech Republic7.00
22 Decrease 1 Germany6.00
23 Increase 10 Philippines6.00
24 Increase 5 Poland6.00
25 Increase 1 South Africa5.00
26 Decrease 4 Chile5.00
27 Increase 4 Kenya0.00
28 Increase 6 Norway4.00
29 Decrease 6 Nigeria4.00
30 Decrease 6 Ghana4.00
31 Decrease 6 Brazil4.00
32 Decrease 12 Turkey3.00
33 Increase 4 United States3.00
34 Increase 1 Bulgaria3.00
35 Decrease 5 Cameroon2.00
36 Increase 2 Montenegro2.00
37 Decrease 5 Spain2.00
38 Increase 6 Japan1.00
39 New entry Albania1.00
40 Decrease 4 Colombia1.00
41 Increase 6 El Salvador1.00
42 New entry North Macedonia1.00
43 Decrease 1 Morocco1.00
44 Decrease 3 Sweden0.00
45 Steady Bosnia and Herzegovina0.00
46 Decrease 3 Canada0.00
47 New entry Niue0.00
48 Decrease 9 Solomon Islands0.00
49 Decrease 1 Belgium0.00
50 Decrease 10 Hungary0.00
51 Decrease 5 Vanuatu0.00
52 Decrease 3 Argentina0.00
53 Decrease 3 Denmark0.00
54 Decrease 3 Latvia0.00
55 New entry Estonia0.00
Complete rankings at INTRL.SPORT

Other Papua New Guinean teams

See also

References

  1. Hadfield, Dave (1995-10-08). "Island gods high in a dream world". The Independent. independent.co.uk. Retrieved 2009-10-06.
  2. Hadfield, David (1996-09-14). "Eagles to share United's roost". Independent, The. UK: independent.co.uk. Retrieved 2009-07-19.
  3. Sydney Morning Herald - Adrian Lam Quits As PNG Coach
  4. The Australian - Lam Quits As PNG Coach
  5. Four Nations Official Website - Stanley Gene Returns As Kumuls Coach
  6. Sydney Morning Herald - PNG Squad Announced
  7. The National - PNG Out Of Their Depth?
  8. The National - Kumuls Need More Work Before NRL
  9. Facebook - Kumuls v Kiwis
  10. The National - Disgraceful Display By Kumuls
  11. The National - Rugby League Poorly Managed
  12. The National - Marcus Bai Challenges Agmark Gurias
  13. Weekend Post Courier - Politics In Rugby Archived 2008-06-05 at the Wayback Machine
  14. "RLWC 2017: England down PNG to set up semi-final against Tonga".
  15. "Big men power Samoa to victory". The Australian.
  16. "Big guns fire as Samoa outlast brave Kumuls". 22 June 2019.
  17. "Fiji edge PNG in razzle-dazzle thriller in Christchurch". 9 November 2019.
  18. "Spotlight intensifies on Bennett as Kumuls put Lions to the sword". 16 November 2019.
  19. "Mead bows out in style as Kumuls down Bati". nrl.com. 2022-06-25.
  20. "Marum looks forward to Warrington". 12 June 2020.
  21. "Rugby League World Cup 2021".
  22. "Flanagan to help Tepend in PNG World Cup role". 12 May 2022.
  23. "Australian PM's XIII Men beat spirited PNG PM's XIII Men". 25 September 2022.
  24. "Rugby League World Cup: Tommy Makinson's record haul sends England into semis with 46-6 win over Papua New Guinea".
  25. "Pacific Championships 2023 Official Men's squads". 5 October 2023.
  26. "Papua New Guinea head-to-head". rugbyleagueplanet. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
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