NRL’s 19th franchise name revealed by James Marape
Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape announced the name of the NRL’s 19th branch at a board meeting in Port Moresby on Sunday.
After months of talks between the PNG government, the Australian government, the NRL and the new team’s board of directors, key parties have agreed on the Papua New Guinea Chiefs.
PNG premier James Marape announced the team’s name at a club board meeting attended by NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo on Sunday.Credit: NRL
“Before there was a prime minister and a King or Queen in England, the sovereign head of the tribe was the chief,” Marape told the PNG board and NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo on Sunday morning.
“In our country, around 30 percent [of tribes] It is matrilineal, so it fits very well for girls to run as Chiefs because there is a traditional context in our history.
“In East New Britain and New Ireland, women were chiefs. They had land rights, they made the final decisions, so the name is appropriate.
‘Everyone thought Chiefs were more appropriate because we were a sovereign nation of many tribes.’
Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape
“This name resonates well with the reality of where we come from as a nation of many tribes, united into one nation in 1975 and gifted by Australia. It has a strong meaning for our unique identity.”
Before the shortlist was compiled, Papua New Guineans were asked to submit their preferred team name. The name was announced to the crowd shortly before kick-off of Sunday’s match between Papua New Guinea and the Prime Minister’s XIII in Port Moresby.
Some of the most common names were Angels, Crocodiles and Wantok, but the list was narrowed down to two before Marape decided.
