NZ Rugby on collision course with NRL over Chiefs trademark

New Zealand Rugby is on a collision course with the NRL over the use of the Chiefs’ name for an expansion club based in Papua New Guinea.

The new league club, based in Port Moresby, is due to join the NRL in 2028 but its name is the same as the Waikato-based Super Rugby franchise which first appeared in 1996 and which wears similar colours.

NZ Rugby confirmed to 1News today that it had corresponded with the rival code in Australia about the use of the Chiefs trademark and logo, saying: “The Chiefs have been a professional rugby club since 1996 and has an established identity and fanbase, both in the Pacific region and globally. This 30-year identity includes the Chiefs name, logo and distinctive colours.

"There are long-standing registered trademarks for the Chiefs logo in New Zealand and internationally, including in Australia. In addition, New Zealand Rugby has sought additional wordmark protections for the Chiefs name and made an application to IP Australia in October last year.

"NZR can confirm we have corresponded with the NRL, including last week, about the decision last year to similarly name and brand a new rugby league team. NZR’s focus is on protecting the Chiefs trademark and working with all parties towards a positive outcome."

Joey Manu in action for the Kiwis against the Kangaroos in 2023. (Source: Photosport)

Australia media has reported that there is “geopolitical sensitivity” over the name, given it was endorsed by PNG Prime Minister James Marape last October following a public survey and talks between the PNG and Australian governments, the NRL and the club’s board.

"Our thousand tribes were governed by chiefs," Marape said at the time. "The name truly reflects our history where chiefs, both male and female, held our nation together."

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that two days after Marape’s announcement, the NRL applied to IP Australia to register the PNG Chiefs as a trademark.

Nearly a year later, the NRL is yet to have it approved amid strong objection from NZ Rugby.

The Herald reported that the NRL has argued that the same team names already exist in different sporting leagues and the PNG Chiefs would not be confused with that of rugby’s Chiefs.

"For example, there are many different sports teams from different locations that share names like Tigers, Panthers, Lions, Bears and Broncos, just to name a few," the NRL’s lawyers said in a February submission.

The PNG Chiefs have already signed Alex Johnston from the Rabbitohs and the highly-regarded Joey Manu from French rugby club Racing 92, among others.

Manu, born in Tokoroa, was a star for the Sydney Roosters and represented the Kiwis before moving to Japan and then Paris.

The Perth Bears will join the NRL in 2027, with potential for another New Zealand-based team from 2029.