Papua New Guinea National Rugby League

The Papua New Guinea National Rugby League Competition (or the PNGNRL for short, for sponsorship reasons the PNGNRL Digicel-ExxonMobil Cup) 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^[1] (one of the world's largest publicly traded oil and gas companies) which joined in 2023 and so it is currently called the Digicel-ExxonMobil Cup.^[2]

PNGNRL Digicel-ExxonMobil Cup

Current season or competition: 2023 PNGNRL season
Sport	Rugby league
Formerly known as	SP Cup (1990–2005) Bemobile Cup (2009–10) Digicel Cup (2011–2022) Digicel-ExxonMobil Cup (2023–present)
Instituted	2005
Inaugural season	1990 (as SP Cup)
Chair	Stanley Hondina
Number of teams	12
Country	Papua New Guinea
Premiers	Enga Mioks (2023)
Most titles	Rabaul Gurias (6 titles)

History

Previous to 2005 the PNG NRL was called the SP Inter-City Cup. The national competition was known as the SP Cup, and has been held since 1990. No competition was held in 2004 due to financial problems and province violence in certain provinces. But the competition returned for 2005 season as the new-look PNGNRL. Much like the new PNGNRL format the old SP Inter-City Cup had teams competing in a format much like the Australian National Rugby League format, with the top four clubs at the end of the rounds entering play-offs, culminating in a Grand Final held in the capital city Port Moresby.^{[citation needed]}

The 2005 season had eight teams in total from all around Papua New Guinea. In 2006 one team got relegated (Monier Broncos) to make way for two new teams, Central Raiders and Pagini Warriors. The inaugural winner of the competition was the Agmark Gurias who beat the Brian Bell Bulldogs in Port Moresby. In the short history of the tournament the competition has shown high levels of rugby league play in Papua New Guinea.^{[citation needed]}

In 2009 local mobile telecommunication Company, Bemobile, took over from SP Brewery as the competitions major sponsor. Currently 9 teams compete in the competition.^[3]

 

Logo 2011–2022

On February 9, 2011, telecommucations company Digicel who has taken over the industry in PNG since its operation started in 2007, announced that it will be sponsoring PNG's premier sporting event for the next five years.^[4]

Sponsorship Names

• SP Inter-City Cup – (1990–2008)
• Bemobile Cup – (2009–10)
• Digicel Cup – (2011–2022)
• Digicel-ExxonMobil Cup -- (2023 -- present)

Teams

 

 

Mendi Muruks

 

Mt. Hagen Eagles

 

Agmark Gurias

 

Vitis Central Dabaris

 

Kimbe Cutters

 

Gulf Isou

 

Goroka Lahanis

 

Port Moresby Vipers

 

Enga Mioks

 

Hela Wigmen

 

Sepik Pride

 

Lae Snax Tigers

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Principal areas represented by 2023 Digicel Cup teams

2023 Digicel Cup Teams
Team	Stadium	City/Area
Central Dabaris	Oil Search National Football Stadium	Port Moresby, National Capital District
Enga Mioks	Johnson Siki Aipus [1]	Wabag, Enga Province
Goroka Lahanis	National Sports Institute [2]	Goroka, Eastern Highlands Province
Gulf Isou	Oil Search National Football Stadium	Kerema, Gulf Province
Hela Wigmen	Oil Search National Football Stadium	Tari Hela Province
Kimbe Cutters	Muthuvel Stadium [3]	Kimbe, West New Britain Province
Lae Snax Tigers	Lae League Oval	Lae, Morobe Province
Mendi Muruks	Joseph Keviame Oval	Mendi, Southern Highlands Province
Mt. Hagen Eagles	Rebiamul Oval	Mt. Hagen, Western Highlands Province
Port Moresby Vipers	Oil Search National Football Stadium	Port Moresby, National Capital District
Rabaul Gurias	Kalabond Oval	Kokopo, East New Britain Province
Sepik Pride	Pora Oval	Wewak, East Sepik Province

History of Premiers

Year	Premiers	Runners Up	Score	Attendance
1990	Port Moresby Vipers	Mt Hagen Eagles	22–14	9,230
1991	Port Moresby Vipers	Mt Hagen Eagles	18–18**	8,900
1992	Port Moresby Vipers	Mt Hagen Eagles	36–0	12,112
1993	Goroka Lahanis	Port Moresby Vipers	22–10	8,291
1994	Port Moresby Vipers	Goroka Lahanis	36–30	8,011
1995	Lae Bombers	Mendi Muruks	28–18	10,232
1996	Mendi Muruks	Kundiawa Warriors	11–10	12,312
1997	Mt Hagen Eagles	Lae Bombers	19–16	10,271
1998	Mt Hagen Eagles	Mendi Muruks	14–6	9,278
1999	Goroka Lahanis	Rabaul Gurias	24–0	10,812
2000	Enga Mioks	Rabaul Gurias	36–20	14,123
2001	Rabaul Gurias	Goroka Lahanis	18–2	10,912
2002	Lae Bombers	Rabaul Gurias	14–12	12,321
2003	Rabaul Gurias	Lae Bombers	17–16	12,381
2004*	Mendi Menjals	Popondetta Butterflies	22–0	12,322
2005	Rabaul Gurias	Port Moresby Bulldogs	14–13	10,249
2006	Mendi Muruks	Goroka Lahanis	19–14	12,021
2007	Mendi Muruks	Rabaul Gurias	42–6	11,000+
2008	Mendi Muruks	Mt Hagen Eagles	14–4	12,000+
2009	Rabaul Gurias	Enga Mioks	24–14	15,000+
2010	Goroka Lahanis	Mendi Muruks	21–10	20,000+ ^[5]
2011	Goroka Lahanis	Rabaul Gurias	20–10	20,000+ ^[6]
2012	Rabaul Gurias	Mendi Muruks	14–10	20,000+ ^[7]
2013	Port Moresby Vipers	Goroka Lahanis	36–14	20,000+^[8]
2014	Hela Wigmen	Agmark Gurias	34–8
2015	Rabaul Gurias	TNA Simbu Lions	26–18	20,000+^[9]
2016	Lae Snax Tigers	Rabaul Gurias	14–8	20,000+^[10]
2017	Lae Snax Tigers	Rabaul Gurias	11–10	20,000+^[11]
2018	Goroka Lahanis	Enga Mioks	10–6	20,000+^[12]
2019	Lae Snax Tigers	Hela Wigmen	15–4	20,000+^[13]
2020	Hela Wigmen	Lae Snax Tigers	16–14	^[14]
2021	Lae Snax Tigers	Waghi Tumbe	16–10	^[15]
2022	Hela Wigmen	Rabaul Gurias	8-6
2023	Enga Mioks	Goroka Lahanis

• Competition not held that year
  • Vipers win by virtue of scoring more tries

Performance by team

Team	Win	Runners Up	Winning years	Runners Up years
Rabaul Gurias	6	8	2001, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2012, 2015	1999, 2000, 2002, 2007, 2011, 2016, 2017, 2022
Goroka Lahanis	5	4	1993, 1999, 2010, 2011, 2018	1994, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2013,
Port Moresby Vipers	5	2	1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 2013	1993, 2005 (as Port Moresby Bulldogs)
Mendi Muruks	4	4	1996, 2006, 2007, 2008	1995, 1998, 2010, 2012
Lae Snax Tigers	4	1	2016, 2017, 2019, 2021	2020
Hela Wigmen	3	1	2014, 2020, 2022	2019
Mt Hagen Eagles	2	4	1997, 1998	1900, 1991, 1992, 2008
Lae Bombers	2	2	1995, 2002	1997, 2003
Enga Mioks	1	2	2000	2009, 2018
Mendi Menjals	1	0	2004
Waghi Tumbe	0	1		2021
Popondetta Butterflies	0	1		2004
TNA Simbu Lions	0	1		2015
Simbu Warriors	0	1		1996

See also

•  New Guinea portal

References

1. "ExxonMobil becomes co-sponsor of PNGNRL Digicel ExxonMobil Cup". 17 March 2023.
2. "Digicel Exxon Mobil Cup Launched". 14 April 2023.
3. . Archived from the original on 7 February 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2010.
4. . Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 30 January 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
5. "Post-Courier Online". Archived from the original on 6 September 2012. Retrieved 18 October 2010.
6. . Archived from the original on 22 June 2013. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
7. EMTV Online (9 September 2012). "Gurias wins 2012 Digicel Cup Title". Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2018 – via YouTube.
8. "PNG's Number One Daily Newspaper! - The National". The National. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
9. "Gurias win 2015 Digicel Cup - Loop PNG". looppng.com. 5 September 2015. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
10. "Naru thanks Tigers for winning the 2016 Digicel Cup - Loop PNG". looppng.com. 5 September 2016. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
11. "Tigers are 2017 Digicel Cup champions! - Loop PNG". looppng.com. 9 September 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
12. "Lahanis scoop coveted trophy! - Loop PNG". looppng.com. 2 September 2018. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
13. Patjole, Cedric (8 September 2019). "Lae Tigers ultimate 2019 winners". Loop PNG. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
14. "Wigmen avenge defeat – the National".
15. "Tigers Claim Fourth Premiership". 13 September 2021.

External links

• Official website
• Papua New Guinea National Rugby League on Facebook