Roland Oliphant
Rugby League is a fast-moving, sometimes physically brutal game born in the working-class communities of northern England.
Now it is at the centre of an even higher-stakes geopolitical competition on the other side of the world.
Anthony Albanese and James Marape, the prime ministers of Australia and Papua New Guinea, this month announced Australia would spend A$600 million (£298 million) over 10 years to set up a Papua New Guinea team to play in the Australian league.
But it comes hand in hand with another pact that makes clear Australia will remain Papua New Guinea’s main security partner. In other words, China will not be.
The “rugby diplomacy” deal is, after all, about far more than just sport. For Australia and its Western allies, it is part of an ongoing scrum over China’s plans to conquer the Pacific.
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