Quote: Genehunt1973 "Am i right in thinking that PNG is the only place in the world where it is the National sport?'"
PNG was an Australian protectorate till 1975 and their entire public service sector was basically from Queensland. They still send all their kids from wealthy families to school in Queensland and fly to Queensland if they need first world healthcare.
In short, most of their borrowed western culture is pure Queensland (shudder) - which means Rugby League is their game.
PNG has a population of 8 million, which means it has double or triple the population of the rest of the South Pacific Islands put together, and their economy is also close to double the rest of the Pacific Islands.
They are a very poor country still, but their economy is growing at a rapid rate from a very low base. The new stadium, opened just this year, is an example of how they are growing and expanding. Just six months ago they didn't have a stadium good enough to host these games.
Quote: Kevs Head "No one should underestimate the importance of rugby league in PNG. There are 22 disparate provinces each with its own tribes and clans and over 800 different languages spoken in the country. The government's main job is to pull all this together and rugby league is the main unifying factor. It means so much to people and they are passionate about it in a way that just isn't the case in, say, England. The rugby league world should do everything it can to help PNG rugby develop - it would be good for the game and great for the country'"
The progress in PNG is already remarkable.
It's less than 7 years since they formed a national comp.
They started rolling out a schools based comp only 3 years ago.
The Hunters entered the Qld cup 3 years ago, and won it for the first time on their 3rd attempt.
The new modern stadium only opened this year and the Hunters relocated from the old German capitol of Kokopo to Port Moresby this year.
Just a few weeks ago their national women's side had their first game in the leadup to the women's WC.
There is talk of PNG sides entering the qld under 18s and under 20s comps, which seems the next logical step, as well as school sides playing in the school knockout comps.
The progress they have made since the last WC is there for all to see, and you can see that all the things they are now doing and plan to do in the near future will mean that the progress will continue for the next 4 years at least.
76030_1540929970.jpgJESUS WEPT HOW MANY TIMES?????
£20 a ticket and £15 on beer and merchandise.....so an away fan is worth £35. At best, 1,000 is the average away support split across 11 rounds and I am being really generous here, so Toronto, replacing say Wakefield will cost a SL club £35,000.
The minimum turnover of a SL club is £4,000,000 so Toronto instead of Widnes is worth less than 1% of a SL clubs turnover.
There are many valid reasons for and against expansion into America, but "AWAY FANS" isn't one of them. :d7dc4b20b2c2dd7b76ac6eac29d5604e_76030.jpg
Quote: roopy "The progress in PNG is already remarkable.
It's less than 7 years since they formed a national comp.
They started rolling out a schools based comp only 3 years ago.
The Hunters entered the Qld cup 3 years ago, and won it for the first time on their 3rd attempt.
The new modern stadium only opened this year and the Hunters relocated from the old German capitol of Kokopo to Port Moresby this year.
Just a few weeks ago their national women's side had their first game in the leadup to the women's WC.
There is talk of PNG sides entering the qld under 18s and under 20s comps, which seems the next logical step, as well as school sides playing in the school knockout comps.
The progress they have made since the last WC is there for all to see, and you can see that all the things they are now doing and plan to do in the near future will mean that the progress will continue for the next 4 years at least.'"
If they continue to grow as they have, I can see them really being a threat to the big 3 by the time we head to North America.....
I was at the match in Port Moresby and also saw Scotland v Tonga in Cairns. I have to say that I'm wetting myself at the thought of PNG v Tonga - they'd feel the earth shaking on the M62. It could happen in this World Cup but, if I've read the fixture format for the quarters correctly, England v PNG in Melbourne looks very likely. Ouch!!
Quote: Kevs Head "I was at the match in Port Moresby and also saw Scotland v Tonga in Cairns. I have to say that I'm wetting myself at the thought of PNG v Tonga - they'd feel the earth shaking on the M62. It could happen in this World Cup but, if I've read the fixture format for the quarters correctly, England v PNG in Melbourne looks very likely. Ouch!!'"
Good on you for making the effort.
If more people get to the games in Moresby the tourist industry there will take off, and that will be great for the game and for PNG.
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HOW MANY TIMES?????
£20 a ticket and £15 on beer and merchandise.....so an away fan is worth £35. At best, 1,000 is the average away support split across 11 rounds and I am being really generous here, so Toronto, replacing say Wakefield will cost a SL club £35,000.
The minimum turnover of a SL club is £4,000,000 so Toronto instead of Widnes is worth less than 1% of a SL clubs turnover.
There are many valid reasons for and against expansion into America, but "AWAY FANS" isn't one of them. 
:d7dc4b20b2c2dd7b76ac6eac29d5604e_76030.jpg
