TLDR
Papua New Guinea's first NRL franchise revealed its official logo and supporter jersey at a Port Moresby breakfast event on 21 October 2026. The four-symbol logo and culturally drawn jersey arrive two years before the club's 2028 debut, days after the High Court of New Zealand refused an injunction over the 'Chiefs' name.
Port Moresby breakfast marks the reveal
Papua New Guinea's first NRL franchise unveiled its official logo and supporter jersey at a breakfast event in Port Moresby on 21 October 2026, with singing, dancing and cultural performance accompanying the launch.[1] The reveal came five days after the High Court of New Zealand declined an interim injunction New Zealand Rugby had sought over the name.
PNG Chiefs CEO Lorna McPherson said the occasion gave the club its complete identity for the first time.
"Today marks one of the most significant milestones in the journey of the PNG Chiefs. This is the first time that our club has its true, complete identity, a logo and jersey that our players, partners and fans can hold to as their own,"McPherson said. [1]
Four symbols, one crest
The PNG Chiefs logo is formed from four elements: the feather headpiece, cassowary bone, a chief's face shaped like the outline of Papua New Guinea, and kina shells.[1] The symbols draw on traditions from the Highlands, Islands, Momase and Southern regions, placing all four under a single crest.
Papua New Guinean artist Tabu Pelei, known professionally as TABU, created the cultural drawings on the supporter jersey.[1] Pelei's central design challenge was finding a motif that could speak to a nation of more than 800 tribes; the kundu drum, a percussive instrument used across PNG's diverse communities, became that unifying device.
PNG Chiefs Chair Catherine Harris said the finished identity reached beyond the club itself.
"I am proud to stand alongside all in our club and celebrate our logo and jersey, which are unmistakeably Papua New Guinean. In reflecting the culture, character and pride of the nation, this identity belongs to more than the club, it belongs to the people of Papua New Guinea,"Harris said. [1]
High Court declines injunction five days earlier
New Zealand Rugby's bid for an interim injunction to block use of the 'Chiefs' name in New Zealand was declined by the High Court of New Zealand on 16 October 2026.[2] The Waikato-based Chiefs Rugby Club, the Super Rugby franchise at the centre of the dispute, confirmed the court's decision in a statement.
"Chiefs Rugby Club acknowledges today's decision by the High Court of New Zealand not to grant New Zealand Rugby an interim injunction,"the club said. [2] The club said New Zealand Rugby accepted the decision based on commitments by the NRL not to promote the name in New Zealand, and that its application for a final injunction remains before the court, likely to be heard in early 2027.
The 19th team, a historic first
The PNG Chiefs will play home matches at Port Moresby's National Stadium when they enter the NRL Telstra Premiership in the 2028 season.[3] They will be the competition's 19th team, a year after the Perth Bears enter as the 18th.[4] Rugby league holds the status of Papua New Guinea's national sport, and the franchise marks the first time the world's most linguistically diverse nation fields a professional team in the game's premier competition.[1]
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