PNG Chiefs unveil logo and jerseys ahead of first NRL season amid naming dispute
On 21 October 2026 the PNG Chiefs unveiled their logo and jerseys as they prepare for their first NRL season, pressing ahead despite an ongoing naming dispute with New Zealand Rugby. The club revealed a primary black design with a white-accented "V" and gold cultural artwork, plus an alternate largely swapping black for white.
The chiefs' new palette officially adopts black, white and gold and adds red to the club colours; the selection echoes colours in the Papua New Guinea flag of red, black, yellow and white that the country’s national teams have traditionally worn. The club said the logo includes the face of a chief and that the chest artwork was created by PNG artist Tabu. The Chiefs have not designated which jersey will serve as the home design.
New Zealand Rugby has contested the NFL club’s use of the Chiefs name with proceedings centred on the Super Rugby Waikato Chiefs formed in 1996; an injunction sought by NZ Rugby to prevent the NRL’s Chiefs adopting the moniker was denied last week in the New Zealand high court. The legal dispute is scheduled to go to trial next year.
The club added red to its colour scheme alongside black, white and gold and described the emblematic figure at the centre of the badge in a club statement: "chosen as the central figure of the logo because, across the many cultures of Papua New Guinea, he represents leadership, earned authority and custodianship of his people – the role the club seeks to play as a rare institution belonging to an entire country and proudly bringing its name on to the world stage."
The home strip shown at the unveiling is a black jersey with a white-accented "V" and a chest panel decorated with gold cultural drawings by Tabu, while the alternate reverses much of the black for white. The Chiefs join Penrith, Wests, the Warriors and 2027 entrants Perth Bears among NRL clubs who regularly wear black.
The PNG Chiefs also plan to enter the women’s competition, the NRLW, using the same branding. Chiefs chief executive Lorna McPherson said: "The logo of the PNG Chiefs tells a story about Papua New Guinea – our people, what makes us strong and what makes us unique," and added: "The jersey of the PNG Chiefs is more than what players wear when they take to the field – it is a symbol of belonging, unity and the opportunity to represent millions of Papua New Guineans on the national stage."
The jersey will be sold in Australia for $159 for adult sizes and a 99 kina ($32) version will be available in Papua New Guinea. McPherson said: "We strive for the PNG Chiefs to be something our country is proud of in every way," and: "Not because of the success that we will achieve on the field, but for the opportunities and legacy we will create for our country."
Black remains a prominent colour across the NRL and is also widely used elsewhere in the Pacific; the article notes New Zealand sporting teams are synonymous with black, most famously in rugby union with the All Blacks.