The Grand Final of the inaugural PNG National Youth Competition (NYC) will be hosted in Goroka, Eastern Highlands Province, at the National Sports Institute (NSI). This milestone event marks the first-ever youth rugby league grand final in PNG, as the Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League (PNGRFL) and the PNG National Rugby League Competition (PNGNRLC) move to take major fixtures beyond Port Moresby, promoting inclusivity and extending social and economic benefits to other regions. PNGRFL CEO Stanley Hondina congratulated the grand finalists and reaffirmed the league’s commitment to its vision of Better People, Better Sports, Better Nation. He emphasized that the NYC, as a sanctioned under-19 competition, provides development and pathway opportunities for young rugby talent across PNG. “Firstly, I’d like to congratulate the NYC grand finalists — the U19 Bintangor Goroka Lahanis and the U19 Wamp Nga Mt Hagen Eagles. Both teams have performed exceptionally, and the Grand Final promises to be a thrilling encounter,” said Mr. Hondina. “To the other four franchises that participated, you have made history as part of PNG’s first-ever U19 rugby league competition. The skills, experience, and discipline gained over the seven rounds of competition will influence your future decisions and create new opportunities in the sport.” Mr. Hondina also acknowledged the support of the National Government and the Eastern Highlands Provincial Government in developing the facilities at NSI, enabling the hosting of national-level competitions. “We intentionally selected Goroka to make it easier for families and supporters of both highland teams to attend and cheer on their young players,” he added. The NYC Grand Final will serve as a curtain-raiser to the Round 12 Digicel ExxonMobil Cup match between the Bintangor Goroka Lahanis and the Asila Waghi Tumbe on Sunday, 6 July. Unlike the Digicel ExxonMobil Cup, the NYC is a development-focused competition. The winning team will make history as the first-ever champions of the PNG National Youth Competition.