Rugby League in Papua New Guinea is described as the sport that unites the country. A giant step has been taken to strengthen that role with the launch of the Santos Cup. The Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League (PNGRFL) and Santos today announced the formation of the first ever National Women’s Rugby League Competition, to be known as the Santos Cup. The PNGRFL, in partnership with Santos, PacificAus Sports and Kumul Minerals Holdings Limited, will support the women’s competition which will see talented female players compete in a six-team competition across seven weeks. The competition will empower our female players, energise the sport and excite our fans. PNGRFL Chief Executive Officer Mr Stanley Hondina said, “This is a proud and historic day in the history of rugby league in this country.” “It is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the talent of our female players in a high-performance environment.” “It demonstrates the opening of our pathway to be more inclusive of females in the game.” “Creating a new competition wouldn’t be possible without the support of our wonderful partners.” “Santos is our long-term corporate friend and is deeply committed to the women's game.” “In this partnership, the business is extending its support of rugby league beyond the Santos PNG Orchids to become the naming rights sponsor of this inaugural competition, the Santos Cup.” “The commitment of PacificAus Sports to the growth of our women’s game in this country is unwavering.” “We should be so excited to use rugby league as the vehicle to empower our women in this country and to recognise their contribution to the sport.” Santos Country Chair - PNG, Mr Leon Buskens, said, “Equal opportunity for women continues to be a priority for us at Santos and we are extremely proud to be an ongoing sponsor of women’s rugby league in Papua New Guinea.” “The Santos Cup is further testament of our commitment towards empowering women and girls.” Through sports and rugby league, we are influencing mindsets and providing a great platform for our women and girls to achieve their dreams and to be heard and seen as a positive and powerful force in society. This was clearly demonstrated by the national women’s rugby league team, the Santos PNG Orchids, who finished just one game away from the last Rugby League World Cup in 2022. The Santos Cup, the first ever Women’s Rugby League Competition in PNG, will provide more opportunities for our women and girls to excel in the sport and beyond. This is a significant step forward for us as a country and at Santos, this goes to our values and building a better future for PNG.” The 2024 women’s competition will see the participation of the six franchises which are Central Dabaris, East New Britain Gurias, Goroka Lahanis, Lae Tigers, Mt. Hagen Eagles and the Port Moresby Vipers. The competition will kick off with all teams playing a triple header on Saturday the 3rd of August at the Santos National Football Stadium in Port Moresby with matches to be played in Goroka, Kokopo, Lae and Minj in the coming rounds. The Santos Cup will culminate on grand final day on the 15th of September 2024.