National women’s rugby league expands to five provinces for 2026 season

The domestic footprint of elite women’s rugby league in Papua New Guinea is gaining momentum, with organizers confirming matches will be played across five provinces for the upcoming 2026 Santos Cup season.

The Papua New Guinea National Rugby League Competition [PNGNRLC] officially released the season draw on Wednesday, locking in a July 11 kickoff for the nation’s premier women’s rugby league.

Now entering its third year, the competition will expand outside major hubs to feature matches in Port Moresby, Lae, Rabaul, Goroka, and Minj. The regional expansion reflects a significant push by the game's administrators to capitalize on growing grassroots interest and develop regional talent pools.

The eight-week regular season will launch immediately following the mid-year international representative window.

Round 1 is headlined by a heavyweight Grand Final rematch between the reigning premiers, Gas Resources Central Dabaris, and their chief rivals from the past two seasons, the Bintangor Goroka Lahanis.

Six franchise teams will contest the 2026 premiership including Dabaris, Lahanis, Lae Snax Tigers, Mt. Hagen Eagles, Agmark Gurias and Port Moresby Vipers.

Several rounds of the Santos Cup will be double-headers to boost crowd attendance and commercial viability. The women's fixtures will be co-hosted alongside the SP PNG Hunters' Hostplus Cup home games and domestic men's Digicel ExxonMobil Cup matches.

PNGNRLC has also designated Round 5 [August 8–9] as the official 'Women in League Round' to celebrate and promote female participation across all levels of the sport.

Following eight rounds of regular-season competition, the top four teams will advance to a top-four knockout format with semifinals and grand final scheduled for September 6 and 13 at the Santos National Football Stadium in Port Moresby.