LeagueNews.co | Jess Malloy
Papua New Guinea's long-desired National Rugby League (NRL) team has faced challenges along the way, but experts believe the country has a strong history backing its aspirations.
A crowd of 12,000 gathered to witness a significant moment in Papua New Guinea's emerging nationhood when the national rugby league team took the field for the first time in Port Moresby.
Dressed in yellow jerseys adorned with red Vs, players from across the Pacific nation lined up for the PNG national team's inaugural international match.
This event occurred just two months prior to the nation gaining independence in 1975. Although the PNG Kumuls lost to England that day, their debut marked an important milestone.
It was a clear declaration that a new nation was stepping onto the world stage.
"That team was the real first time we got to see the new proud post-independence Papua New Guinea," stated rugby league journalist Patrick Skene.
Since that historic moment, the Kumuls have harnessed the nation's passion for rugby league into numerous remarkable victories.
In a country characterized by diverse cultures, rugby league has been a pivotal force in cultivating a shared national identity.
As the nation celebrates its 50th anniversary of independence this week, the ultimate reward-an NRL team-seems tantalizingly close.