Digicel, Australia and the development of rugby league in PNG

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For the past couple of years, I have spent a lot of money buying Digicel mobile phone credits to purchase the various TV packages offered by Digicel Play. In a smart move, Digicel Play has secured the NRL broadcasting rights for PNG forcing all fans to pay in order to have access to their NRL channel TVWAN Action.

Fans formerly enjoyed viewing for free when EMTV had the broadcasting rights. But the entry of Digicel into the market has changed the broadcasting landscape. They created Digicel Play and quickly capitalized on the fact that Papua New Guineans love watching the NRL.

They also broadcast the PNG Hunters home and away games. Fans have to pay in order to have access to the TVWAN Plus channel. TVWAN Plus is different from TVWAN Action, sometimes fans are faced with a tough decision when a NRL game is televised on a Saturday afternoon time slot similar to a PNG Hunters match. 

Furthermore, viewers have the option of watching the PNGNRLC games live on the TVWAN Plus channel. They are only able to televise the matches in Port Moresby and Kokopo. Hopefully they will be able to move around and broadcast matches in Goroka, Lae Mendi, Wabag, Minz and other venues. Fans will decide whether to watch their provincial team, PNG Hunters or favourite NRL team.

This remarkable evolution of rugby league broadcasting in PNG is a step in the right direction. It goes inline with the changes happening in the PNGRFL. As the NRL and PNGRFL work together to set up a junior rugby league framework, Digicel will make it possible for these new rugby league stars to become popular, similar to NRL stars.   

The cooperation is part of the Australian Sports Diplomacy Strategy 2015-2018. The first goal of connecting people and institutions is depicted in the modified games coaching course for PNG. Institutions like the NRL and the PNGRFL worked together to train coaches for 6 to 12 year olds. At the people level, you have experts from the NRL meeting with Papua New Guineans in the PNGRFL system who are passionate about the development of rugby league.

The recent announcement by the alternative Labour government of Australia to support PNG’s bid to have a team in the NRL will achieve the second goal of the strategy to use sports for development. If they form government then their plan will create a pathway for young Papua New Guineans from the new junior framework and schools competition to showcase their talent in Australia. This form of human development will have a ripple effect on the family and community where the young players come from. 

Rugby League in PNG is a grassroots sport. It is played and supported by people from different age groups, socioeconomic backgrounds and is gender inclusive. The rise of the Orchids and the launching of the NRLW are great developments in the game. Apart from a male team, the Labour party and other interested parties will need to think about a female team in the NRLW.     

As part of my community service, which is a major portfolio and requirement of the institution I work for, I put my TV screen outside my institutional residence for the community to view both domestic and international rugby league games. The NRL is not the only international competition we watch every weekend, we also have access to watching the British super league via EMTV.


I would like those without a TV to have the opportunity to watch the PNG Hunters, their provincial team or their favourite NRL team play. Also I am using rugby league to build my relations with the surrounding community. Within the community we have a mixture of people. We have middle income earners as well as low income earners from two nearby settlements.

Digicel is not only broadcasting rugby league games but they are the major sponsor of the PNGNRLC. The competition is known as the Digicel Cup. That means Australia is not the only partner helping us to develop rugby league, we have a strong multinational telecommunications company who has invested a lot in broadcasting and sponsorship.  

Below are pictures of people watching and my small television screen. It is not clear because of the quality of the camera. I look forward to the new season in 2019, I will look for a better camera and take quality pictures.  

Small TV screen

Small TV Screen and my Digicel play box

Fans watching a Friday night game televised by Channel 9

Fans watching super Saturday matches televised by Fox Sports
Fans watching super Saturday matches televised by Fox Sports

Comments

  1. UnknownDecember 28, 2018 at 10:25 AM

    Sports diplomacy as a soft power strategy to win hearts and minds at international and domestic levels all the way down to grassroots level.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bernard Singu YegioraDecember 28, 2018 at 4:38 PM

      Yes, Australia is using sports diplomacy well. I do not know why they are trying to follow the US and move to hard power by setting a naval base on Manus Island.

      Delete

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