Butterfly Netball League Launches Inaugural 2026 Season

A newly introduced elite netball competition, the Butterfly Netball League (BNL), officially launched its 2026 season on Sunday, 29 March 2026, at Sir John Guise Stadium Indoor Complex.

Gracing the occasion were Netball PNG President Ulato Avei, NCD City Manager Ravu Frank, former Alotau MP and Reset PNG@50 Director Charles Abel, DFAT delegation, and distinguished guests. 

PNG Netball President Ulato Avei emphasized that the national body aims to create a pathway by being competitive and raising the bar in PNG while nurturing talented players for national representation to compete at the international level.

“As we celebrate the triumphant entry of Jesus in Jerusalem today (yesterday), Netball PNG is also celebrating the launching of the Butterfly Netball League,” Avei stated.

“My board and I have taken a deliberate step to change the direction of netball in Papua New Guinea this year.  

“In the sense that we must be competitive and create an environment where our athletes must go through an intensive training program to be selected.”

She added: “We have taken that bold move in bringing seriousness, both in athleticism and in the administration. 

“We are serious about the systems and processes that we are trying to implement this year through BNL.

“That means seriousness in technical officials, seriousness in the athletes, and seriousness in the administration. 

“We hope that in the near future, we will get a franchise established - that’s the new direction that Netball PNG would like to take.”

Mrs. Avei thanked the NCD City Manager, the sponsors - WR Carpenters (Boroko Motors) and Moore Printing, partners, various association presidents, and the fans for their support in making the elite women’s competition a reality.

PNG Netball Board Member and NBL High-Performance Lead, Lawrence Lahari, explained the reason behind the establishment of this elite women’s competition in the nation’s capital, which will elevate the standard of netball not only in Port Moresby but nationwide.  

“Today (yesterday) was a proud moment for me personally, and as the High-Performance Lead on the Netball PNG Board, to officially launch the Butterfly Netball League, a competition built to raise the standard of netball in our country,” he said. 

“For too long, we’ve had the talent, and now we are putting the structure around it. The BNL is about high-performance, accountability, and creating clear pathways for our athletes to grow and succeed at the highest level.”

Mr. Lahari added that the new league will unlock and unearth emerging talent to develop their skills, be competitive, and make PNG a force to be reckoned with on the international stage. 

“This league brings together the best of the best — our Pepes, our national prospects, and our next generation — and challenges them to perform consistently, with discipline and intensity. Because at this level, performance is everything,” he said.  

“From a high-performance perspective, this is a critical step in our journey towards Oceania qualification and ultimately the Netball World Cup. This is where we build, test, and prepare our athletes for the international stage. 

“I’m proud to be part of this new era — a true Super League for PNG netball — and I look forward to seeing our athletes rise, our women empowered, and our country back where it belongs.”