ABSTRACT
The National Rugby League’s Papua New Guinea (NRL PNG) program is an Australian Government-funded, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)-administered initiative. In 2012, the PNG Department of Education endorsed the taskforce’s proposal to work through the school system to develop the sport of rugby league as a vehicle to achieving social development outcomes in PNG. After its inception in late 2013, the NRL PNG program has become an important part of the Australian government’s development cooperation program in PNG and is currently being implemented through DFAT’s Sport for Development Program and guided by the Australian Sports Diplomacy Strategy. Overall, the NRL Pacific Program aligns itself with Sustainable Development Goal 4, among others (including Goals 3, 5, 10, 11, and 16). Specifically, in Papua New Guinea, NRL PNG attempts to contribute to SDG 4 through the League Bilong Laif Program. This chapter speaks to the implementation, successes, and challenges of this program.
