Southern Highlands is a province in Papua New Guinea. Its provincial capital is the town of Mendi. According to Papua New Guinea's national 2011 census, the total population of Southern Highlands is 515,511 spread across 15,089 square kilometers (5,826 sq mi).
The Port Moresby Vipers are a Papua New Guinean rugby league team from Port Moresby. The team currently competes in the Papua New Guinea National Rugby League Competition and is bidding to join the NSW Cup competition in Australia.
Rugby league is a popular team sport in Papua New Guinea and the country's national sport. Papua New Guineans have a reputation as being some of the world's most passionate rugby league supporters.
Mendi, Papua New Guinea, is the provincial capital of the Southern Highlands Province, and the capital of Mendi-Munihu District. The Lai River flows by the town. It is served by Mendi Airport. The town falls under Mendi Urban LLG.
Australian rules football in Papua New Guinea (PNG) is a developing team sport which was initially introduced by Australian servicemen during World War II. The governing body for the sport is the PNG Rules Football Council, with the development body being AFL PNG. The junior development version is known locally as Niukick. Regionally, AFL PNG is affiliated with AFL Oceania.
The Papua New Guinea National Rugby League Competition is a semi-professional rugby league competition held annually in Papua New Guinea. Changes in sponsorship have meant it was Formerly known as the SP Inter-City Cup or SP Cup (1990–2008) and later the Bemobile Cup (2009–2010). The current competition is sponsored by pacific telecommunications giant Digicel and new co-naming rights sponsor ExxonMobil which joined in 2023 and so it is currently called the Digicel-ExxonMobil Cup.
Sport in Papua New Guinea is an important part of the national culture. Rugby league is the most popular sport in Papua New Guinea.
Charlie Wabo is a Papua New Guinean professional rugby league footballer who played as a hooker for the Newcastle Thunder in Kingstone Press League 1. He is a Papua New Guinea international.
Enock Maki is a Papua New Guinean rugby league footballer who previously played prop for the PNG Hunters in the Intrust Super Cup and also represented Papua New Guinea in the 2013 World Cup and 2017 Rugby League World Cup.
Wellington Albert is a Papua New Guinean professional rugby league footballer who plays as a prop for the Featherstone Rovers in the RFL Championship and Papua New Guinea at international level.
The Kroton Hela Wigmen is a semi-professional Papua New Guinean rugby league team from Hela Province. They currently compete in the Papua New Guinea National Rugby League Competition. They have been playing their home games in Port Moresby while waiting for their new stadium to be completed in 2022, the new stadium will be based in Tari, the capital of Hela Province.
The Agmark Rabaul Gurias are a semi professional Papua New Guinean rugby league team from Kokopo, East New Britain Province. They currently compete in the Papua New Guinea National Rugby League Competition. They play their home games at Kalabond Oval at the foot of active volcano Tavurvur. The Franchise is owned by NGIP Agmark Limited and was founded in 1991. The team has won six premierships in 2001, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2012 and 2015. The team has been a competitive team in the semi professional rugby game in Papua New Guinea over the past years and the team has developed professional rugby players who have played for the PNG Hunters like Israel Eliab, Ase Boas, Watson Boas and Wartovo Puara Jr. Former greats include Kumul strongman Lucas Solbat, Michael Marum, Normyle Eremas and Menzie Yere.
The Papua New Guinea Hunters (PNG Hunters) are a professional rugby league football club based in Papua New Guinea. They were formed in December 2013 and compete in the Queensland Cup, a second tier competition in Australia. The Hunters are the second Papua New Guinean side to enter the Queensland Cup following the Port Moresby Vipers who competed for two seasons in 1996 and 1997. Every Hunters match is shown live on national free-to-air television. The Hunters' home ground is the National Football Stadium in Port Moresby and their team colours are red, black and gold. The Hunters won the Hostplus Cup in 2017.
Garry Lo is a Papua New Guinean rugby league footballer who plays for the Waghi Tumbe in the Digicel Cup. Lo plays as a winger. He is also a Papua New Guinea international.
Francis Awesa is a Papua New Guinean politician. A former Premier of the Southern Highlands under the old provincial government system, he was a member of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea from 2007 to 2017, representing the electorate of Imbonggu Open. A Papua New Guinea Party member in his first term, he subsequently switched to the People's National Congress after PNC leader Peter O'Neill became Prime Minister in 2011. He was Minister for Transport, Works and Civil Aviation (2011), Minister for Transport and Works (2011-2012) and Minister for Works and Implementation (2012-2017) in the government of Peter O'Neill.
The 2019 PNGNRL Digicel Cup season was the 29th season of professional rugby league in Papua New Guinea. The Lae Snax Tigers won the minor premiership and the Grand Final, defeating the Hela Wigmen 15–4.
The 2020 PNGNRL Digicel Cup season will be the 30th season of professional rugby league in Papua New Guinea.
Elsie Albert is a Papua New Guinean rugby league footballer who plays as a prop for the Parramatta Eels Women in the NRL Women's Premiership.
Rodrick Tai is a Papua New Guinean professional rugby league footballer who plays as a centre for the Warrington Wolves in the Super League and Papua New Guinea at international level.
The 2023 season of Papua New Guinea National Rugby League competition will be the 33rd season of the premier rugby league competition in Papua New Guinea since 1991.
