Papua New Guinea has been placed in Pool C for the 2017 Rugby World Cup with the USA their only confirmed competition for now, while their other opponents will be confirmed following the European Qualifiers later in the year.
On October 28, 2017 – Port Moresby will play host to their first Rugby League World Cup match as the host nation PNG takes on the first European Qualifier, and again on November 5, followed by the final match against USA on the 12th.
The United States of America is ranked 10th on the Rugby League International Federation Rankings, four points ahead of PNG.
While PNG sits below USA and Fiji, fellow Pool C participants in the world ranks – the nation’s home grown Kumuls, unlike any other football code in the country, has had the most exposure with the Hunters program, the annual Pacific Test Match, and of course PM’s XIII.
Although rugby league powerhouses New Zealand, Australia and England will be tipped as the top contenders for the next edition of the World Cup – the Pacific’s talent will be out to surprise and cause a few upsets, not just within the Kumuls team alone but through Samoa and Fiji too.
