# Papua New Guinea national rugby league team

The Papua New Guinea national rugby league team represents Papua New Guinea in the sport of rugby league football.
In Papua New Guinea, Rugby League is a highly popular sport and is regarded as the country's national sport. The national side are known as the Kumuls ("birds-of-paradise" in Tok Pisin).

## History

Rugby league in Papua New Guinea was first played in the late forties; it was introduced to the nation by Australian soldiers stationed there during and after the Second World War. Papua New Guinea were admitted to the game's International Federation in 1974. On 6 July 1975, at Lloyd Robson Oval, in Port Moresby the Kumuls played their first ever international. They were beaten 40-12 by England. The English team were en route to Australia and New Zealand to fulfil away fixtures during the 1975 World Cup.
They first entered the Rugby League World Cup for the 1985-88 competition, though it was not until 2000 that they won away from home. In 1987 The Kumuls staged their first full test playing tour of Britain, after playing BARLA opposition in 1979. The 1987 Tour had The Kumuls play both BARLA and for the first Professional opposition.
On Tuesday 20 October 1987, Cumbria met Papua New Guinea before a crowd of 3,750 at the Recreation Ground, Whitehaven. Cumbria won 22–4. Four days later Papua New Guinea played a Test which was also a World Cup match against Great Britain. They lost the test 42–0 at Central Park, Wigan.
During the 1988 Great Britain Lions tour of Australasia a Test match was played at Port Moresby which like the match at Wigan in 1987 was a World Cup match. Which they also lost 42-22. Later that year Papua New Guinea played a World Cup match against Australia in Wagga Wagga, the Kangaroos recording a then international record winning margin of 62 points with a 70–8 win. Australian winger Michael O'Connor crossed for four tries and kicked seven goals for a personal points haul of 30, which could have been 44 had he not missed seven kicks at goal. In 1990 Papua New Guinea played host to a touring Great Britain, the series ended in a 1–1 draw.
On Sunday 27 October 1991, Papua New Guinea met Wales at Vetch Field, Swansea. Roared on by a fervent crowd of 11,422; Wales won by a record 68-0 margin, scoring thirteen tries. Papua New Guinea never recovered and lost all five matches in Britain, conceding 232 points in the process, and won only one of their four matches in France.
Papua New Guinea wound up their 1991 tour of Europe with a World Cup rated Test match against France, which was played on Sunday 24 November at the Stade Albert Domec, Carcassonne. Despite Papua New Guinea leading 8–4 at half-time; France defeated their visitors 28–14.
The Kumuls hosted Australia for a two test series in October 1991 (won 2-0 by the Kangaroos), and also hosted Great Britain during the 1992 Lions tour of Australasia.
Papua New Guinea travelled to England to compete in the 1995 World Cup under coach Joe Tokam and captain Adrian Lam. In their group was Tonga and New Zealand, against whom they failed to win a match.
In 1996 Bob Bennett, brother of the famous Wayne Bennett, was appointed the Kumuls' coach. Also, in 1996, Adrian Lam captained the 'Papua New Guinea National Rugby League Team' against the Australian Kangaroos (52-6 win to Australia). Bob Bennett coached the 2000 World Cup Kumuls team to the qualification two the pool were the kumuls made it into the top 4 teams in the world so the 2000 World Cup Kumuls team was rated the best kumuls team.
They were granted automatic qualification to the 2008 World Cup but were placed in a pool with the top three teams, Australia, New Zealand and England, and failed to win a match in the tournament.
PNG automatically qualified for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup having reached the quarter-finals of the previous Rugby League World Cup. The 2021 tournament will take place in England.

### 2010 controversy

The Papua New Guinea team experienced huge difficulties leading to the 2010 Rugby League Four Nations Tournament, as politicians clashed for control over the game and the governing body, the PNGRFL, was split over issues concerning junior development, the national team and the Papua New Guinea NRL bid. This caused Adrian Lam to retire as head coach of the Kumuls in September 2010 while recently retired captain Stanley Gene, who had never coached a side before, was named his replacement. The governing board were adamant that more Papua New Guinea-based players should be in the squad, and fewer Australia-based players should be picked. In early October the squad was announced for the tournament and consisted of 12 PNG-based players with captain Paul Aiton being the only NRL player. Whilst the Australian team for the tournament was worth an estimated A$10 million, local newspapers calculated the Kumuls value at around A$670,000.
Despite the Australian media treating the defeat of the Papua New Guinean team as a mere formality, with the team having odds of 125–1 to win the tournament, the players and journalists at home were positive that the Kumuls could make a lasting impression in the tournament. After their first up 42–0 defeat against Australia, the team's enthusiasm and crunching tackles were praised, but ball control and creativity let the team down hugely. However the team faced much more criticism after their 76-12 thrashing suffered at the hands of New Zealand, with fans angry at the poor display from the players and some questioning the credentials of new coach Stanley Gene. Days after the match a broader look at the sport in the country occurred with one assessment concluding that rugby league was poorly managed and former PNG great Marcus Bai called on clubs to supply a greater number of representative standard players especially from the New Guinea Islands region which had supplied five of this year's team. The way politics had made its way into the governing of the sport was also condemned.

### 2015 Pacific Rugby League Test

In May 2015, Papua New Guinea took on Fiji in the 2015 Melanesian Cup at Cbus Super Stadium. The International was part of a triple header which also included the Polynesian Cup, between Samoa and Tonga, and the Junior Kangaroos against the Junior Kiwis. The Kumuls never really troubled the Fijians after handling errors and poor decisions led to the Bati easily winning the inaugural Melanesian Cup by 22–10.

### 2016 Pacific Rugby League Test

In May 2016, Papua New Guinea took on Fiji in the 2016 Melanesian Cup at Pirtek Stadium. The International was part of a triple header which also included the Polynesian Cup, between Samoa and Tonga, and the Junior Kangaroos against the Junior Kiwis. In this year's test, the Kumuls had more experienced players and it paid off. Despite being in a similar situation with the half time score, they managed to make a miraculous comeback not many saw coming, to record their first win 24–22 on away shores since the 2000 World Cup.

### 2017 Pacific Rugby League Test

The PNG Kumuls won their second consecutive Pacific Cup test victory with a 32–22 victory over the Cook Islands at Campbelltown Stadium in Sydney, Australia.

### 2017 Rugby League World Cup

The PNG Kumuls won all their pool games in Port Moresby before losing to England in Melbourne in the quarter-final of the 2017 RLWC.

### 2018 Pacific Rugby League Test

The PNG Kumuls won their third consecutive Ox & Palm Pacific Cup test victory with a 26–14 victory over Fiji Bati at Campbelltown Stadium in Sydney, Australia.

### 2019 Oceania Cup and GB Lions Tour

The PNG Kumuls lost both their 2019 Oceania Cup (rugby league) test matches with a 24–6 loss to Toa Samoa at Leichhardt Oval in Sydney, Australia and a 22–20 loss to Fiji Bati in Christchurch, New Zealand . The Kumuls ended the season on a high defeating the Great Britain Lions 28–10 in Port Moresby.

### 2022 Pacific Rugby League Test

The Kumuls defeated a full strength Fiji Bati 24-14 on June 25 at Campbelltown Stadium.

### 2022 Rugby League World Cup

The PNG Kumuls were based in Warrington for the 2021 RLWC. The World Cup will be held between October 15 and November 19. Kumuls coach Stanley Tepend was guided by his mentor/ Coaching Director Shane Flanagan. The PM's XIII lost to Australia PM's XIII on September 25 at Suncorp Stadium as part of both teams world cup preparations. The Kumuls bowed out in the quarterfinals after losing to hosts, England.

## Players
### Current squad

The PNG Kumuls squad was announced on 11 October 2024.
Jersey numbers in the table reflect team selection for the Week 4 game against the NZ Kiwis.
Statistics in this table are compiled from the website, Rugby League Project.
| J# | Player | Age | Position(s) | Kumuls | Kumuls | Kumuls | Kumuls | Kumuls | Kumuls | Club | NRL | NRL | SL | SL | Other Reps |
| J# | Player | Age | Position(s) | Dbt | M | T | G | F | P | Club | CM | TM | CM | TM | Other Reps |
| 1 | Nene Macdonald | 30 | Fullback, Centre | 2013 | 20 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 56 | Salford Red Devils | 0 | 98 | 25 | 44 | 2 2 |
| 2 | Elijah Roltinga | 21 | Wing, Centre | 2024 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | Papua New Guinea Hunters | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 3 | Robert Mathias | — | Centre | 2024 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Papua New Guinea Hunters | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | Rodrick Tai | 25 | Centre, Wing | 2022 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | Warrington Wolves | 0 | 0 | 19 | 19 | 1 |
| 5 | Robert Derby | 22 | Wing | 2022 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 24 | Northern Pride RLFC | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 6 | Kyle Laybutt | 29 | Five-eighth, Lock | 2019 | 14 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 28 | Townsville Blackhawks | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 2 |
| 7 | Lachlan Lam | 26 | Halfback | 2017 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 28 | Leigh Leopards | 0 | 31 | 55 | 55 | |
| 8 | Valentine Richard | — | Prop | 2023 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | Papua New Guinea Hunters | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | Liam Horne | 26 | Hooker | 2022 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Castleford Tigers | 0 | 0 | 30 | 30 | 1 |
| 10 | Jacob Alick | 25 | Prop, Second-row | 2022 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Tweed Heads Seagulls | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | |
| 11 | Rhyse Martin | 31 | Second-row | 2014 | 19 | 5 | 58 | 0 | 136 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 0 | 25 | 125 | 125 | 1 |
| 12 | Jeremiah Simbiken | 24 | Second-row | 2022 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Norths Devils | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 13 | Jack de Belin | 33 | Lock, Prop | 2023 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | St. George Illawarra Dragons | 229 | 229 | 0 | 0 | 3 2 |
| 14 | Judah Rimbu | 23 | Hooker | 2023 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | Papua New Guinea Hunters | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 15 | Koso Bandi | — | Prop | 2024 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Papua New Guinea Hunters | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 16 | Sylvester Namo | 24 | Second-row | 2022 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | Castleford Tigers | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 | 2 |
| 17 | Ila Alu | 29 | Lock | 2024 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Papua New Guinea Hunters | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 18 | Daniel Russell | 28 | Second-row | 2019 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | St. George Illawarra Dragons | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 19 | Morea Morea | — | Fullback | — | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | Papua New Guinea Hunters | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 20 | Sanny Wabo | 25 | Fullback | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Papua New Guinea Hunters | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 21 | Benji Kot | 27 | Centre | 2023 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| – | Finley Glare | — | Five-eighth, Halfback | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Papua New Guinea Hunters | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| – | Edwin Ipape | 25 | Hooker | 2019 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | Leigh Leopards | 0 | 0 | 43 | 43 | |
| – | Alex Max | — | Centre | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Papua New Guinea Hunters | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| – | Khaiya Waiembi | — | Prop | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Central Queensland Capras | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Notes:
* Seven members of the squad played for Super League teams in 2024.
** Castleford Tigers (2): Horne & Namo
** Leigh Leopards (2): Ipape & Lam
** Salford Red Devils (1): Macdonald
** Hull Kingston Rovers (1): Martin
** Warrington Wolves (1): Tai
* Seventeen members of the squad have previously played for the PNG Prime Minister's XIII, including the recent match on 13 October 2024.
* Fourteen members of the squad are current or former PNG Hunters players.
* Three squad members have played for Australian representative teams:
** NSW and NSW Country: de Belin
** Indigenous All Stars: Laybutt
** NRL All Stars: Macdonald

## Records

Below is the list of Papua New Guinea's individual record holders as of 21 October 2024.
* Bold- denotes that the player is still active.

### Most capped players

| # | Name | Career | Caps |
| 1 | Rhyse Martin | 2014-2024 | 18 |
| 1 | Nene Macdonald | 2013-2024 | 18 |
| 2 | Max Tiri | 1990-1996 | 16 |
| 2 | Stanley Gene | 1994-2008 | 16 |
| 5 | John Wilshere | 2000-2009 | 15 |
| 5 | David Mead | 2008-2022 | 15 |
| 5 | Paul Aiton | 2007-2017 | 15 |
| 8 | Justin Olam | 2016-2022 | 14 |
| 8 | Bal Numapo | 1984-1990 | 14 |
| 10 | David Buko | 1993-2001 | 13 |
| 10 | Rod Griffin | 2007-2018 | 13 |
| 10 | Phillip Boge | 1990-1994 | 13 |
| 10 | Nixon Putt | 2017-2023 | 13 |

### Top try scorers

| # | Name | Career | Tries |
| 1 | Nene Macdonald | 2013-2024 | 12 |
| 2 | David Mead | 2008-2022 | 10 |
| 3 | Justin Olam | 2016-2022 | 7 |
| 3 | Menzie Yere | 2007-2013 | 7 |
| 5 | Stanley Gene | 1994-2008 | 6 |
| 5 | Watson Boas | 2016-2022 | 6 |
| 5 | Lachlan Lam | 2017-2023 | 6 |

### Top points scorers

| # | Name | Career | Points | Tries | Goals | Field Goals |
| 1 | Rhyse Martin | 2014-2023 | 126 | 5 | 53 | 0 |
| 2 | John Wilshere | 2000-2009 | 102 | 5 | 41 | 0 |
| 3 | Bal Numapo | 1984-1990 | 53 | 4 | 18 | 1 |
| 4 | David Mead | 2008-2022 | 40 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Dairi Kovae | 1986-1988 | 38 | 5 | 9 | 0 |

## Competitive record
### Overall

Below is the list of Papua New Guinea's international head-to-head record as of 10 November 2024.
| Country | Matches | Won | Drawn | Lost | Win percentage | For | Aga | Diff |
| Australia | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0% | 62 | 528 | –466 |
| Australian Aboriginies | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0% | 40 | 118 | –78 |
| Cook Islands | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 312 | 114 | +198 |
| England | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0% | 56 | 190 | –134 |
| Fiji | 16 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 62.5% | 375 | 261 | +114 |
| France | 14 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 28.57% | 249 | 281 | –32 |
| Great Britain | 9 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 22.22% | 146 | 298 | –152 |
| Ireland | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 14 | 6 | +8 |
| New Zealand | 19 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 5.26 | 238 | 866 | –628 |
| New Zealand Maori | 12 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 16.67% | 269 | 396 | –127 |
| New Zealand Residents | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0% | 24 | 42 | –18 |
| Samoa | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0% | 10 | 62 | –52 |
| Scotland | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 38 | 20 | +18 |
| South Africa | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 16 | 0 | +16 |
| Tonga | 9 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 77.78% | 322 | 179 | +143 |
| United States | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 64 | 0 | +64 |
| Wales | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 40.00% | 104 | 146 | –42 |
| Total | 118 | 41 | 2 | 75 | 34.75% | 2,339 | 3,507 | –1,168 |

### World Cup

World Cup record :
| Year | Round | Position | GP | W | L | D |
| 1954–1977 | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate |
| 1985–88 | Fourth place | 4/5 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 |
| 1989–92 | Fifth place | 5/5 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| 1995 | Group stage | 6/10 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2000 | Quarter-finals | 6/16 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 2008 | Group stage | 10/10 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 2013 | Group stage | 13/14 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 2017 | Quarter-finals | 5/14 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 2021 | Quarter-finals | 7/16 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 2026 | qualified | qualified | qualified | qualified | qualified | qualified |
| Total | 0 Titles | | 36 | 11 | 24 | 1 |

### Tri-Nations / Four Nations

Tri-Nations / Four Nations record :
| Year | Round | Position | GP | W | L | D |
| 1999–2006 | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate |
| 2010 | Fourth place | 4/4 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 2011–2016 | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate |
| Total | 0 Titles | 1/9 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |

### Pacific Cup

Pacific Cup record :
| Year | Round | Position | GP | W | L | D |
| 1975 | Runners-up | 2/4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 1977 | Third place | 3/5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 1986 | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate |
| 1986 | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate |
| 1990 | Group stage | 5/8 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 1992 | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate |
| 1994 | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate |
| 1997 | Third place | 3/6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 2004 | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate |
| 2006 | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate |
| 2009 | Champions | 1/5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 1 Title | 5/12 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 |

## Attendance records
### Highest all-time attendances

| Attendance | Opposing team | Venue | Tournament |
| 44,324 | England | Eden Park, Auckland | 2010 Rugby League Four Nations |
| 23,179 | England | Wigan Athletic Stadium, Wigan | 2021 Rugby League World Cup Quarter-Final |
| 21,000 | Australia | Willows Sports Complex, Townsville | 2000 – Test Match |
| 18,271 | Cook Islands | Campbelltown Sports Ground, Sydney | 2017 Cook Islands vs Papua New Guinea |
| 18,180 | New Zealand | Headingley, Leeds | 2013 Rugby League World Cup |

### Highest attendances per opponent

| Attendance | Opposing team | Venue | Tournament |
| 44,324 | England | Eden Park, Auckland | 2010 Rugby League Four Nations |
| 21,000 | Australia | Willows Sports Complex, Townsville | 2000 – Test Match |
| 18,271 | Cook Islands | Campbelltown Sports Ground, Sydney | 2017 Cook Islands vs Papua New Guinea |
| 18,180 | New Zealand | Headingley, Leeds | 2013 Rugby League World Cup |
| 17,802 | Fiji | Campbelltown Sports Ground, Sydney | 2018 Papua New Guinea vs Fiji |
| 16,000 | France | Lloyd Robson Oval, Port Moresby | 1981 French tour of Australasia |
| 14,800 | Wales | PNG Football Stadium, Port Moresby | 2017 Rugby League World Cup |
| 14,800 | Ireland | PNG Football Stadium, Port Moresby | 2017 Rugby League World Cup |
| 14,800 | United States | PNG Football Stadium, Port Moresby | 2017 Rugby League World Cup |
| 14,000 | Māori | Lloyd Robson Oval, Port Moresby | 1975 Pacific Cup |
| 12,107 | Great Britain | Lloyd Robson Oval, Port Moresby | 1988 Great Britain Lions tour - Test Match |
| 10,409 | Tonga | Langtree Park, St Helens | 2021 Rugby League World Cup |
| 8,408 | Samoa | Leichhardt Oval, Sydney | 2019 Oceania Cup |
| 5,200 | Aborigines | Barlow Park, Cairns | |
| 4,313 | South Africa | Stade Ernest Wallon, Toulouse | 2000 Rugby League World Cup |
| 1,412 | Scotland | Post Office Road, Featherstone | Test Match |

### Highest attendances per opponent in Papua New Guinea

| Attendance | Opposing team | Venue | Tournament |
| 17,000 | Australia | Lloyd Robson Oval, Port Moresby | 1986 Kangaroo tour – Test Match |
| 16,000 | France | Lloyd Robson Oval, Port Moresby | 1981 French tour of Australasia |
| 15,000 | New Zealand | Lloyd Robson Oval, Port Moresby | 1986 New Zealand Australasian tour – 2nd Test |
| 15,000 | Fiji | Lloyd Robson Oval, Port Moresby | 2011 Papua New Guinea vs Fiji |
| 14,800 | Wales | PNG Football Stadium, Port Moresby | 2017 Rugby League World Cup |
| 14,800 | Ireland | PNG Football Stadium, Port Moresby | 2017 Rugby League World Cup |
| 14,800 | United States | PNG Football Stadium, Port Moresby | 2017 Rugby League World Cup |
| 14,000 | Māori | Lloyd Robson Oval, Port Moresby | 1975 Pacific Cup |
| 12,107 | Great Britain | Lloyd Robson Oval, Port Moresby | 1988 Great Britain Lions tour - Test Match |
| 12,000 | England | Lloyd Robson Oval, Port Moresby | England 1975 Rugby League World Cup tour |
| 9,813 | Tonga | Lloyd Robson Oval, Port Moresby | 2009 Pacific Cup |

## IRL Rankings

IRL Men's World Rankingsvte :
| Official rankings as of December 2024 ||||
| Rank | Change | Team | Pts % |
| 1 | | Australia | 100 |
| 2 | | New Zealand | 86 |
| 3 | | England | 84 |
| 4 | 1 | Tonga | 63 |
| 5 | 1 | Samoa | 54 |
| 6 | 1 | Papua New Guinea | 53 |
| 7 | 1 | Fiji | 44 |
| 8 | | France | 30 |
| 9 | 2 | Serbia | 23 |
| 10 | | Cook Islands | 22 |
| 11 | 1 | Netherlands | 22 |
| 12 | 5 | Wales | 18 |
| 13 | 2 | Malta | 17 |
| 14 | 6 | Ukraine | 13 |
| 15 | 1 | Greece | 12 |
| 16 | 7 | Lebanon | 12 |
| 17 | 4 | Italy | 11 |
| 18 | 2 | Ireland | 9 |
| 19 | 1 | Jamaica | 8 |
| 20 | 1 | Czech Republic | 8 |
| 21 | 2 | Chile | 8 |
| 22 | 3 | Scotland | 7 |
| 23 | 4 | Philippines | 7 |
| 24 | 7 | United States | 7 |
| 25 | 1 | Poland | 5 |
| 26 | 2 | South Africa | 5 |
| 27 | 5 | Germany | 5 |
| 28 | 3 | Norway | 5 |
| 29 | 4 | Brazil | 4 |
| 30 | 4 | Kenya | 4 |
| 31 | 10 | Canada | 4 |
| 32 | | Montenegro | 4 |
| 33 | 2 | North Macedonia | 3 |
| 34 | 15 | Argentina | 3 |
| 35 | 5 | Albania | 2 |
| 36 | | Bulgaria | 2 |
| 37 | 7 | Ghana | 2 |
| 38 | 9 | Nigeria | 2 |
| 39 | 5 | Turkey | 1 |
| 40 | 3 | Cameroon | 1 |
| 41 | 2 | Japan | 1 |
| 42 | 4 | Spain | 1 |
| 43 | 1 | Colombia | 1 |
| 44 | 1 | El Salvador | 0 |
| 45 | | Russia | 0 |
| 46 | 1 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 0 |
| 47 | 3 | Hong Kong | 0 |
| 48 | 3 | Solomon Islands | 0 |
| 49 | 8 | Vanuatu | 0 |
| 50 | | Niue | 0 |
| 51 | 1 | Latvia | 0 |
| 52 | 2 | Denmark | 0 |
| 53 | 2 | Belgium | 0 |
| 54 | 4 | Estonia | 0 |
| 55 | 9 | Sweden | 0 |
| 56 | 12 | Morocco | 0 |
| 57 | 9 | Hungary | 0 |
| Complete rankings at INTRL.SPORT ||||

## Other Papua New Guinean teams

* PNG Prime Minister's XIII - Development side consisting of players from the Papua New Guinea National Rugby League competition. In recent years, players from the National Rugby League, Intrust Super Cup, English Super League and English Championship have also been selected to play the Australian PM's XIII.
* PNG President XIII - PNGRFL 'select' usually playing another development side like Junior Kangaroos or New Zealand A. Rarely used to play national sides.
* PNG Residents- Papua New Guinea development side made up of solely local players. Regularly playing matches with the Junior Kangaroos, New Zealand Māoris and even national sides.
* Papua New Guinea Kundus - Papua New Guinea Junior U/19 schoolboys side.