- Papua New Guinea National Rugby League
Infobox sports league
logo=
pixels=200x244px
sport=Rugby League
founded= 2005
teams= 9
country= PNG
champion= Mendi Muruks
Runners-up= Goroka Lahanis|The Papua New Guinea National Rugby League Competition or PNGNRL is a semi-professional
rugby league competition held annually inPapua New Guinea . Formerly known as the SP Inter-City Cup it changed its name after new sponsorship and new teams entered the competitionHistory
It began in 2005 with 8 teams in total from all around Papua New Guinea. In 2006 one team got relugated (Monier Broncos) to make way for two new teams, Central Raiders and Pagini Warriors. The inaugural winner of the competition was the Port Moresby Bulldogs who beat the Island Gurias in Port Moresby. In the short history of the tournament the competition has shown high levels of rugby league play in Papua New Guinea, which is the only nation in the world to call rugby legaue their national sport.
Famous people
*
Marcus Bai who played for 3 season which the Port Moresby Vipers (Now Port Moresby Bulldogs). Marcus Bai played for NRL premiership winners Melbourne Storm and Super League Champions Leeds Rhinos and Bradford Bulls. He now plays in the European Super League Tournament.
* Eliyas Piyo who played for the Adelaide Rams and Western Reds in the Australian Super League. Piyo home club was the Port Moresby Vipers (Now Port Moresby Bulldogs).
*Stanely Gene who played for the Goroko Lahanis for 2 seasons. He then played for Hull Kingston Rovers in the European Super League, before joining his current club Bradford Bulls. * Makali Aizue who plays for Hull Kingston Rovers in the European Super League. A powerhouse prop forward who played for the Lae Bombers.Teams
Island 'Agmark' Gurias Home Ground: Kalabond Field, Kokopo
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Mendi Muruks
Home Ground: Madang
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Lae Bombers Home Ground: Lae
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Toyota
Enga Mioks Home Ground: Johnson Siki Aipus Oval, Wabag
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Mt Hagen Cowboys
Home Ground: Mt. Hagen Show Ground, Mt Hagen
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Goroka Lahanis
Home Ground: Sir Danny Leahy Oval, Goroka
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Central Province Raiders
Home Ground: Lloyd Robson Oval, Port Moresby
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Port Moresby Bulldogs
Home Ground: Lloyd Robson Oval, Port Moresby
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Pagini Warriors
Home Ground: Kundiawa Rugby Legaue Oval, Kundiawa
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Former Clubs
Monier Broncos exited in 2004
Port Moresby Vipers exited in 1999
Simbu Angrass exited in 1999
Former SP Inter-city Cup
Previous to 2005 the PNG NRL was called the SP Inter-City Cup. The national competition is known as the SP Cup, and has been held since 1990. No competition was held in 2004 due to financial problems and province violence in certain provinces. But the competition returned for 2005 season as the new-look PNGNRL. Much like the new PNGNRL format the old SP Inter-City Cup had teams competing in a format much like the Australian
National Rugby League format, with the top 4 clubs at the end of the rounds entering play-offs, culminating in a Grand Final held in the capital city Port Moresby.History of Premiers
* Competition not held that year
Sources
* [http://www.lbcbombers.com http://www.lbcbombers.com]
* [http://www.thenational.com.pg http://www.thenational.com.pg]
* PNGRFL Annual General ReportSee also
*
Papua New Guinea national rugby league team
*Rugby league in Papua New Guinea
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