The 2025 Santos Cup pre-season officially began this week with the inaugural Santos Cup Football Conference, held from 3–5 June in Port Moresby.
This milestone event brings together key personnel involved in the competition, including coaches, team managers, referees, medical trainers, and physiotherapists, for capacity-building workshops ahead of the season.
Santos has retained the naming rights sponsors for 2025 Season and the Santos Cup competition is set to begin on 02nd of August to the 14th of September. Club Franchises participating in the 2025 season include Bintangor Goroka Lahanis, Gas Resource Central Dabaris, Lae Snax Tigers, Moni Plus Port Moresby Vipers, Wamp Nga Mt Hagen Eagles and ENB Agmark Gurias women’s team.
The Santos Cup Football Conference was officially launched by Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League (PNGRFL) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Stanley Hondina, alongside Santos’s representatives: Leon Buskens (Country Chair, PNG), Wayne Kasou (Senior Vice President, PNG Stakeholder Management), and Celestine Ove (Senior Communications Manager and Chairlady of the Santos PNG Orchids).
Mr. Hondina expressed his gratitude to Santos for its continued support of rugby league in PNG, with particular acknowledgment of its commitment to the development of women’s rugby league.
“On behalf of PNGRFL and the board I’d like to thank Santos for the continued support for the development of PNG Rugby league and women’s rugby league. Santos and everyone involved, you’re apart of PNG history of rugby league and breaking barriers to allow our women’s team to have a national competition that provides a pathway to represent PNG in the International arena.”
Mr. Hondina further emphasized that the Santos Cup’s pre-competition recruitment and capacity-building initiatives align with PNGRFL’s vision of “Better People, Better Sports, Better Nation.” He encouraged participants to take the knowledge and training gained from the conference back to their respective communities and organizations, promoting the same vision and level of professionalism across PNG.
“This is our contribution to nation building; PNG Rugby league was not at the point it was 50 years ago. Just some years ago we weren’t able to play rugby league without people jumping high fences with barbwires and families weren’t able to attend to watch a game.”
“Today we have first class facilities and a safe environment. It is all about mindset and attitude change, if your able to come here and see the level of professionalism that needs to be maintained in the competition and pass that on into your communities we will see the Better People, Better Sports and a Better Nation,” said Mr. Hondina.
Santos Country Chair, PNG Mr. Leon Buskens congratulated PNGRFL and PNG National Rugby League Competition on the Inaugural Santos Cup Football Competition.
“This is the first ever national women’s competition football conference, and I must say, when I walked in, I expected to see all women but there is an equal number of men and want to say that it is all about partnership and equal opportunity.”
“I’m encouraged by these words in our vision to be better people – better sport – better nation, our values, believe, empower, trust, together, and excellence. These are really empowering words and so, I ask that you take a step back and reflect on what these words mean for you as an individual here today.
“For us at Santos we share the same values and that shows through our sponsorship. We’ve been here from the beginning with the construction of Santos National Football Stadium at K260 million through the tax credit scheme and our naming rights of the Stadium, is valued at K17 million.”
“We have also invested another K12 million in the Santos PNG Orchids and Santos Cup. But it goes beyond branding and today you are all a part of the journey of changing mindsets and building a better future.”
The Santos Cup will have 7 Rounds in which round 6 and 7 will be Semi-Finals and Grand Finals.
The Santos Cup allows a pathway for the women who participate in the Affiliated League competition, that is run by PNRFL Community Rugby league, to play national and onwards to the Santos PNG Orchids.