Will Chinese Sponsors Be Welcome When PNG Joins the NRL?

The presence of Chinese companies in global sporting competitions has grown rapidly in recent years. In the National Rugby League (NRL), Chinese automotive giants are now visible front-and-centre. The New Zealand Warriors are currently sponsored by Great Wall Motors (GWM), while the Sydney Roosters boast BYD – a global leader in electric vehicles – as a major backer. A few years ago, the Canberra Raiders had Huawei, a telecommunications giant, as its headline sponsor until political tensions over national security led to the deal’s early demise. These cases highlight both the appeal and complexity of Chinese sponsorship in the Australian sporting landscape.

As PNG inches closer to entering the NRL in 2028, the question arises: if a large Chinese company wants to sponsor the team, would it be allowed by the NRL and the Australian government? While commercial sponsorship is usually a straightforward business decision, the geopolitics surrounding PNG’s entry makes it far from simple. The Australian government is committing A$600 million over 10 years to back PNG's bid – a strategic investment tied to strengthening regional influence and countering China’s growing presence in the Pacific.

Chinese corporations line up to back Papua New Guinea’s NRL team — but will Australia allow it?

Australia has made it clear that its support for a PNG NRL team is not merely about sport – it’s about deepening cultural and political ties. In this context, the introduction of a Chinese corporate sponsor could raise eyebrows in Canberra, especially if the entity has links to China’s state apparatus or strategic industries. The earlier backlash against Huawei’s sponsorship of the Raiders serves as a cautionary tale of how commercial partnerships can quickly become entangled in geopolitical rivalry.

From PNG’s perspective, securing major sponsorship – regardless of the company’s country of origin – is essential to building a sustainable and competitive franchise. Chinese firms are among the few with the financial muscle and interest to back Pacific ventures. Moreover, PNG has long engaged China across various sectors, from infrastructure to education and mining. Would it be fair or wise to exclude Chinese companies from NRL sponsorship simply because of geopolitical sensitivities?

There is a risk that the PNG team could be caught between two powerful forces. On the one hand, there is Australia's strategic interest in insulating PNG from Chinese influence. On the other, PNG may wish to assert its own economic sovereignty by welcoming any reputable sponsor willing to invest. Should the team be blocked from Chinese sponsorship, it would reinforce a troubling precedent – that commercial decisions in the Pacific are only acceptable when aligned with Australia’s broader foreign policy.

It’s also worth noting that the NRL itself has shown no blanket ban on Chinese sponsors. GWM and BYD’s ongoing deals suggest the league is willing to work with Chinese companies when the partnerships are commercially sound and politically low-risk. The PNG team might reasonably ask: if it’s acceptable for the Warriors and Roosters, why not for us?

This debate also underscores a broader issue: how should sports diplomacy be managed in the context of great power competition? As sport increasingly intersects with foreign policy, Pacific nations like PNG must navigate a careful path. While Australia may view sport as an extension of its regional diplomacy, PNG will need to ensure that it retains some control over its economic and cultural choices, including who gets to sponsor its flagship NRL team.

As 2028 draws closer, this sponsorship issue may well become a litmus test for the real meaning of PNG’s sporting independence. Will PNG's NRL team be a tool of soft power for Australia alone, or a platform through which PNG engages a range of global partners, including China? The answer could define not just the team’s jersey, but also the country's diplomatic jersey in the Pacific arena.