| Team information | |
|---|---|
| Nickname | PNG Orchids |
| Governing body | Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League |
| Region | Asia-Pacific |
| Head coach | Tahnee Norris [1] |
| Captain | Elsie Albert |
| Most caps | Carol Humeu (9) |
| Top try-scorer | Belinda Gwasamun (5) |
| Top point-scorer | Belinda Gwasamun (20), Lila Malabag (20) |
| IRL ranking | 6 |
| Team results | |
| First game | |
Port Moresby, 23 Sep 2017 | |
| First international | |
Woolooware, 16 Nov 2017 | |
| Biggest win | |
Hull, 5 Nov 2022 | |
| Biggest defeat | |
Brisbane, 18 Oct 2024 | |
| World Cup | |
| Appearances | 2 (first time in 2017 ) |
| Best result | 2021 (Semi-Finalists) |
The Papua New Guinea women's national rugby league team, also known as the PNG Orchids represents Papua New Guinea in Women's rugby league. They are administered by the Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League. [3]
| Opponent | FM | MR | M | W | D | L | Win% | PF | PA | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 2022 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 25.00% | 42 | 118 | 26.25% | |
| 2017 | 2022 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50.00% | 42 | 34 | 55.26% | |
| 2017 | 2024 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.00% | 0 | 76 | 0.00% | |
| 2019 | 2019 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00% | 0 | 28 | 0.00% | |
| 2022 | 2022 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | 70 | 0 | 100.00% | |
| 2022 | 2024 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.00% | 0 | 166 | 0.00% | |
| 2023 | 2025 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50.00% | 34 | 54 | 38.64% | |
| 2024 | 2024 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00% | 12 | 34 | 26.09% | |
| 2025 | 2025 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00% | 6 | 42 | 12.50% | |
| Totals | 2017 | 2025 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 25.00% | 206 | 550 | 27.25% |
Notes:
The current Orchids head coach is Tahnee Norris. [1] [5]
| Name | Span | Tests | PM's XIII | Nines | Ref. | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M | W | D | L | W% | M | W | D | L | W% | M | W | D | L | W% | |||
| Dennis Miall | 2017 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% | N/A | [6] | ||||
| David Westley | 2018 | N/A | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% | N/A | [7] | ||||||||
| Nigel Hukula | 2019 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% | N/A | N/A | [8] | ||||||||
| Bagel Solien | 2019 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50% | N/A | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 29% | [9] [10] | ||||
| Ben Jeffries | 2022-23 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 60% | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0% | N/A | [11] [12] | ||||
| Tahnee Norris | 2024-25 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0% | N/A | [1] | ||||
Note
The following Papua New Guinea representatives have played in the NRL Women's Premiership
Head coach: Tahnee Norris
The PNG Orchids squad was announced with the selection of the team for Round 1 on 14 October 2025. [13] This followed the Prime Minister's XII match on 12 October 2025. [14]
Jersey numbers in the table reflect selections for the Round 1 match versus Cook Islands Moana
Table last updated 1 November 2025 (after the match versus Tonga).
| J# | Player | Age | Position(s) | Orchids | Club | NRLW | Other Reps | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dbt | M | T | G | F | Pts | CM | TM | T | G | F | Pts | ||||||
| 1 | Fleur Ginn | 19 | Fullback , Centre | 2025 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 11 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | |
| 2 | Ruth Gende | 20 | Wing , Centre | 2025 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | Tia Molo | — | Centre | 2025 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 4 | Relna Wuruki-Hosea | 20 | Centre , Wing | 2025 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 6 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | |
| 5 | Naomi Kelly | 25 | Wing | 2025 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 6 | India Seeto | 19 | Five-eighth | 2025 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 7 | Caitlin Tanner | 19 | Halfback | 2025 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 8 | Elsie Albert | 29 | Prop | 2019 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | | 20 | 35 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 32 | |
| 9 | Emily Veivers | 24 | Hooker , Second-row | 2022 | 10 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 20 | | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 10 | Gloria Kaupa | 25 | Prop , Lock | 2017 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 11 | Sareka Mooka | 25 | Second-row , Lock | 2023 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 12 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| 16 | Marie Biyama | 27 | Second-row , Centre | 2025 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 13 | Jessikah Reeves | 24 | Lock , Prop | 2022 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 14 | Therese Aiton | 36 | Hooker | 2019 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 15 | Emmogen Taumafai | 22 | Prop | 2025 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 12 | Mya Muller | — | Second-row , Lock | 2025 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 17 | Belinda Gwasamun | 28 | Centre | 2022 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 20 | | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 18 | Mala Mark | 28 | Wing , Fullback | 2017 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 19 | Delailah Ahose | 32 | Halfback , Hooker | 2017 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | |
| 20 | Leila Kerowa | — | Centre , Second-row | 2023 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| IJ | Essay Banu | 23 | Prop , Second-row | 2022 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | | 20 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Notes:
| Date | Opponent | Score | Tournament | Venue | Video | Reports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Sep 2017 | 4–42 | Curtain-raiser to men's PM's XIII | — | [54] [55] [56] | ||
| 6 Oct 2018 | 4–40 | Women's PM's XII match | [57] | [58] | ||
| 25 Sep 2022 | 6–64 | Women's PM's XII match | [59] | [60] [61] | ||
| 23 Sep 2023 | 4–56 | Women's PM's XII match | [62] | [63] [64] | ||
| 13 Oct 2024 | 0–50 | Women's PM's XII match | [65] | |||
| 12 Oct 2025 | 0–50 | Women's PM's XII match | [66] |
Note: In all three of the above matches Papua New Guinea and Australia each fielded 20 players (13 on the field and 7 on the interchange bench).
| Date | Opponent | Score | Tournament | Venue | Video | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Oct 2017 | | 30–6 | Warm-Up Match | [67] | — | |
| 2 Sep 2018 | | 14–48 | Trial Match | [68] | [69] | |
| 31 Aug 2019 | | 0–14 | Trial Match | [70] | [71] | |
| 20 Oct 2022 | | 38–0 | Warm-Up Match | | — | [4] |
| 15 Jun 2025 | | 48–6 | Tour Match | [72] | [73] | |
| 22 Jun 2025 | | 0–48 | Trial Match | — | [74] |
| Date | Opponent | Score | Tournament | Venue | Video | Reports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Jul 2019 | 8–16 | 2019 Pacific Games | — | [75] | ||
| 8 Jul 2019 | 10–4 | — | — | |||
| 9 Jul 2019 | 14–8 | [76] | — | |||
| 9 Jul 2019 | 14–16 | [77] | [78] | |||
| 18 Oct 2019 | 4–25 | 2019 International Nines | — | [79] | ||
| 19 Oct 2019 | 12–24 | — | [80] | |||
| 19 Oct 2019 | 6–30 | — | — |
Papua New Guinea has qualified for the 2026 World Cup to be held in October-November 2026. [81] All three of the Orchids' pool games have been scheduled within a multi-match game day. The round one and two matches in Port Moresby are both double-headers with the Kumuls, albeit with different opponents. [81]
| Opponent | Game Day | Time | Venue | Ref | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weekday | Date | Format | Local | AEDT | GMT | Sponsored Name | Actual Name | ||
| Saturday | 17 Oct 2026 | WM | 12:15 PM | 1:15 PM | 2:15 AM | Santos National Football Stadium | PNG Football Stadium, Port Moresby | [82] | |
| Sunday | 25 Oct 2026 | WM | 12:15 PM | 1:15 PM | 2:15 AM | Santos National Football Stadium | PNG Football Stadium, Port Moresby | [83] | |
| Saturday | 31 Oct 2026 | WMW | 4:55 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:55 AM | Cbus Super Stadium | Robina Stadium, Gold Coast | [84] | |
| Potential Semi-Final | Saturday | 7 Nov 2026 | WM | 5:55 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:55 AM | McDonald Jones Stadium | Newcastle International Sports Centre | [81] |
| Sunday | 8 Nov 2026 | WM | 5:55 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:55 AM | Allianz Stadium | Sydney Football Stadium | [81] | |
| Potential Final | Sunday | 15 Nov 2026 | WM | 3:15 PM | 4:15 PM | 5:15 AM | Suncorp Stadium | Lang Park, Brisbane | [81] |
Biggest winning margins
| Margin | Score | Opponent | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | 70–0 | MKM Stadium | 5 Nov 2022 | |
| 22 | 34–12 | Headingley Stadium | 1 Nov 2022 | |
| 8 | 28–20 | Santos National Football Stadium | 22 Oct 2023 | |
| 4 | 20–16 | Oil Search National Football Stadium | 16 Nov 2019 |
Biggest losing margins
| Margin | Score | Opponent | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 84 | 0–84 | Suncorp Stadium | 18 Oct 2024 | |
| 82 | 0–82 | LNER Community Stadium | 14 Nov 2022 | |
| 38 | 4–42 | Headingley Stadium | 9 Nov 2022 | |
| 38 | 0–38 | Southern Cross Group Stadium | 22 Nov 2017 | |
| 36 | 0–36 | Santos National Football Stadium | 3 Nov 2024 | |
| 36 | 6–42 | Santos National Football Stadium | 1 Nov 2025 | |
| 28 | 8–36 | Southern Cross Group Stadium | 16 Nov 2017 | |
| 28 | 6–34 | Santos National Football Stadium | 18 Oct 2025 | |
| 28 | 0–28 | Leichhardt Oval | 22 Jun 2019 | |
| 22 | 12–34 | CommBank Stadium | 10 Nov 2024 | |
| 14 | 10–24 | Goroka | 9 Nov 2019 | |
| 14 | 8–22 | Southern Cross Group Stadium | 19 Nov 2017 |
Most consecutive wins
| Matches | First win | Last win | Days | Ended | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 16 Nov 2019 | 5 Nov 2022 | 2 years, 355 days | 9 Nov 2022 | 2 years, 359 days |
Most consecutive losses
| Matches | First loss | Last loss | Days | Ended | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 16 Nov 2017 | 9 Nov 2019 | 1 year,358 days | 16 Nov 2019 | 1 years, 365 days |
| 5 | 18 Oct 2024 | 1 Nov 2025 | 1 year,14 days | Current | 1 year,45 days |