ARLC executive chairman Peter V’landys has blasted New Zealand Rugby’s “mind-blowing hypocrisy” over legal action against NRL expansion side the PNG Chiefs and the use of its name.
NZ Rugby filing proceedings in the High Court of New Zealand on Thursday, seeking and injunction against the ARLC over plans to use the same moniker as their Super Rugby Pacific side.
Rugby’s Waikato-based Chiefs have been in existence for 30 years and NZ Rugby holds the trademark over the Chiefs’ name and logo in New Zealand, as well as the logo in Australia.
The PNG Chiefs will become the NRL’s 19th franchise when they join the competition in the 2028 season.
They are due to launch their logo and inaugural jersey on October 21, but NZ Rugby wants a resolution before that date arrives, arguing that being allowed to trade in the Australian and New Zealand market with the same name “will cause significant confusion and damage”.
“For 30 years, the Chiefs and their players have built an incredibly strong identity that is widely recognised and loved by fans,” NZ Rugby chief executive Steve Lancaster said in a statement.
“We have raised our concerns with the ARLC directly and consistently over the last year in attempting to find a resolution. We now have a responsibility to protect the Chiefs brand.
“We want to be absolutely clear, this is not about rugby league’s growth in the Pacific. We welcome the development of the Pacific region through sport and the passion that the people of Papua New Guinea have for both rugby and rugby league.”
NZ Rugby claims “this view is shared by IP Australia, the Australian Government agency that administers intellectual property (IP) rights, which has warned of a ‘real and tangible danger of confusion’ when ARLC applied for trademark protection for ‘PNG Chiefs’.”
But V’landys hit back on Thursday afternoon, confirming the NRL would defend itself over the decision, and lashed New Zealand Rugby over what he called double standards.
“The NSW Blues have been around since the 1900s,” V’landys said.
“They’ve been using the Auckland Blues since the 1990s and never consulted us. They took our name, the Blues, and we were never concerned then they go ahead and do this.
“When we registered the Chiefs they have acted with mind-blowing hypocrisy.”
The NFL’s Kansas City use the Chiefs moniker, as does South African football team Kaizer Chiefs FC.
“The Chiefs is a well-known sports brand. There is a lot of them. It’s not just in New Zealand,” V’landys said.
“So say they own the Chiefs name is a slur on every other sporting body that has had it before them.
“There is no doubt they are feeling the pressure of rugby league starting to take over in New Zealand. They should look at themselves before they start attacking others.”
In a statement, Chiefs CEO Simon Graafhuis said: “Teams in different sports and markets can exist alongside one another with the same name, but the issue here is the similarity of our sports competing in the same market, for the same fans, in overlapping windows.”
Papua New Guinea is the only country in which rugby league is its No.1 sport.
PNG named its NRL team the Chiefs almost 12 months ago to honour centuries of local leadership and symbolise national unity across a country of a thousand tribes.
They Chiefs have made an impressive start in assembling a roster that includes inaugural signing Jarome Luai, and marquee names such as Brian To’o, Zac Lomax, Joseph Manu, Alex Johnston and Connor Watson.
Tax-free incentives have made PNG a popular destination for free agents.
From November 1, they will be free to negotiate with any player who is off contract at the end of next season.