SYDNEY -- Australia and Papua New Guinea on Thursday signed a deal to establish a PNG rugby league club in Australia's national competition, a strategic agreement long pursued by Canberra as it strives to counter China's influence in the Pacific.
Australia will provide 600 million Australian dollars ($384.9 million) over a decade to establish a Port Moresby-based franchise in the National Rugby League. The ambitious expansion will see the team join in 2028, making it the NRL's 18th or 19th side, depending on whether other bids are successful.
