08/07/2026
Santos Cup 2026 Season Kicks Off 11 July
Santos is proud to continue its support of the Santos Cup - Papua New Guinea’s premier women’s rugby league competition!
Now in its third season, the Santos Cup continues to create pathways for emerging talent to progress from grassroots rugby league to the Santos PNG Orchids and beyond. This year’s competition is bigger than ever, featuring 10 rounds, including two weeks of finals, providing more opportunities for players to develop and showcase their skills on the national stage.
The competition is also creating leadership opportunities, with women making up 50% of the coaching staff across the six participating teams.
As Santos Country Chair PNG, Leon Buskens noted at this week’s launch, 2026 is an important year for rugby league in PNG, with the Santos Cup helping to elevate, empower and inspire the next generation of women and girls as the country looks ahead to the 2026 Rugby League World Cup.
We thank our valued partners PNGRFL, PacificAus Sports, KMHL (Kumul Minerals Holding Limited), Digicel, ExxonMobil and all stakeholders for their continued support in growing women’s rugby league in Papua New Guinea.
We wish all six teams and athletes every success as they embark on another exciting Santos Cup 2026 season!
Back L- R: Mr Adrian Chow, Chairman - PNG NRLC, Australian Deputy High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea His Excellency Mr. Andrian Lochrin, Mr. Leon Buskens - Santos Country Chair, PNG.
Front L- R: Six (6) Captains: Port Moresby Vipers - Marie Biyama, Rabaul Agmark Gurias - Josepha Kawang, Central Dabaris - Nisella Ravu, Goroka Lahanis - Delailah Ahose, Lae Snax Tiger - Jaylyntha K**a and Hagen Eagles - Belinda Gwasamun.