Soft Power Scrum: Teaching Rugby League Diplomacy and PNG’s Foreign Policy

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Rugby league is more than just a sport in PNG; it is a unifying cultural force and, increasingly, a tool of diplomacy. In Lesson 5 of our Foreign Policy in PNG unit, we explored how rugby league diplomacy can be framed and understood as an instrument of soft power. Using Moodle’s Lesson activity, we designed a branching exercise that asked students to make strategic choices about how PNG might frame its National Rugby League (NRL) bid in relation to foreign policy objectives. This approach highlighted the practical intersection of media framing, public diplomacy, and foreign policy strategy.

Moodle Lesson 5 introduces students to rugby league diplomacy as a form of soft power, linking PNG’s NRL bid to foreign policy objectives outlined in the Department of Foreign Affairs Corporate Plan 2018–2022.

The lesson opened with a content page introducing the idea of rugby league as soft power. Drawing on Hafford Norea’s NRI Spotlight paper, students were reminded that rugby is not merely a national pastime but also a diplomatic tool that attracts the interest of Australia, China, and other partners. We then linked this to PNG’s Department of Foreign Affairs Corporate Plan 2018–2022, which identifies rugby league diplomacy as serving three objectives: strengthening neighbourly cooperation, deepening partnerships, and diversifying relationships. These objectives framed the rest of the lesson.

The central pivot of the activity was the “Decision Point: Framing Strategy.” Here, students were tasked with deciding whether PNG should frame its rugby diplomacy in a pro-Australia, pro-China, or neutral/sovereignty-focused direction. This forced them to confront the real-world dilemma of balancing relations between traditional partners like Australia, emerging partners like China, and PNG’s own desire for sovereign independence. The decision point was intentionally provocative, encouraging students to weigh both opportunities and risks.

From this decision point, the lesson branched into three possible pathways. Each branch—Pro-Australia Frame, Pro-China Frame, and Neutral/Sovereignty Frame—contained its own sequence of activities, including short written answers, multiple-choice questions, and reflective essay tasks. This branching design gave students agency in their learning while also reinforcing the notion that foreign policy choices are rarely neutral; every decision carries consequences.

The Pro-Australia branch invited students to reflect on PNG’s traditional ties with Canberra. Questions pushed them to consider whether Australia’s AUD 600 million support for the NRL bid represented a strengthening of neighbourly cooperation or a form of dependency. Students then prepared a two-minute video essay, practicing the skill of framing arguments in a concise, persuasive way. This helped them link theory to practice by imagining themselves as policy advocates or public commentators.

The Pro-China branch challenged students to grapple with Beijing’s interest in PNG rugby diplomacy. China’s offer of infrastructure, scholarships, and media promotion raised questions about diversification of partnerships and the strategic risks of leaning too heavily toward one power. Here again, students were asked to frame the narrative: should PNG embrace Chinese support as a development opportunity, or should it be wary of long-term strategic entanglements? By working through this branch, students learned to identify both the benefits and vulnerabilities of foreign policy choices.

The Neutral/Sovereignty branch emphasized PNG’s own political culture and values. Marijke Breuning’s work on media framing was particularly relevant here: how foreign policy is communicated matters as much as the policy itself. Students considered how journalists could frame PNG’s rugby diplomacy around sovereignty, independence, and national unity. This branch highlighted how PNG might avoid entrapment in great-power rivalry by stressing its own agency and by presenting rugby league as a tool for mutual respect and community-building.

The branching design of Lesson 5: students choose between Pro-Australia, Pro-China, or Neutral/Sovereignty frames, each pathway combining written responses, quizzes, and short video essays to simulate real-world foreign policy framing.

The lesson concluded with a reflection on the importance of framing in shaping public understanding and policy choices. By forcing students to engage with multiple perspectives, the Moodle activity demonstrated how soft power tools like sport can be harnessed for different diplomatic ends. More importantly, it underscored that PNG’s foreign policy is not just about grand strategy—it is about how ideas are communicated, how narratives are framed, and how the nation positions itself between powerful partners. Rugby league diplomacy is thus both a mirror of PNG’s internal values and a projection of its international ambitions.

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