‘Nail in the coffin’: Pacific rugby leaders raise alarm about NRL’s PNG deal

Beijing fires back in Pacific rugby wars

The Chinese government and rugby officials have ramped up their presence since a major deal was signed for a new Papua New Guinea rugby league team.

‘Nail in the coffin’: Pacific rugby leaders raise alarm about NRL’s PNG deal

The Fiji Rugby Union last month signed a memorandum of understanding with the Chinese Rugby Football Association in a bid to secure its financial future and Tonga Rugby Union also has a partnership in the works with China, which funded the Polynesian kingdom’s new $40 million national sports complex.