NiuPower KMHL Sports Tok 7s Set for Ninth Edition

The NiuPower KMHL Sports Tok 7s Rugby Tournament launched its 9th edition on Wednesday, 1 April 2026, at Santos National Football Stadium Club Lounge in Port Moresby.

Last year’s champions, Devo Babas from Fiji, arrived yesterday (1 April) in Port Moresby to defend their title, including the women’s team, Tagimoucia. 

Teams from outside centers, featuring Lae, Rabaul, Kimbe, Kavieng, Western, and Buka, also arrived in the nation’s capital last week and early this week. 

The 9th Sports Tok 7s edition will comprise 50 teams across three divisions: Open Men’s, Open Women’s, and Under-20 Boys, who will battle out for the Cup, Plate, and Bowl categories.  

Tournament Chairman Benson Upas thanked the teams for their participation in the last eight years and acknowledged the sponsors for their support, ensuring that the tournament continues to run smoothly.

“Rugby (Union) is an international game that is played by more than 135 countries, and we are privileged to be in this position to develop rugby and continue to run the annual NiuPower KMHL Sports Tok 7s tournament,” Mr. Upas said.

“We want to thank the teams that continue to come and participate in the tournament, especially the outside centers. We also extend a special thanks to Fiji for their participation last year and this year as well.

“We thank NiuPower's support for four years, including KMHL, which backed us last year and continued its support this year, as well as the Coral Sea Hotels for its sponsorship this year.

“We’ve had challenges over the last 8 years, but through NiuPower’s platinum sponsorship, we’ve been able to deliver successful tournaments, and we look forward to delivering another successful event this year.”

NiuPower CEO Michael Uiari said the local electricity supplier is pleased to have supported the Sports Tok 7s over the last four years, and is committed to continuing its support for the thriving 7s format in the years to come.

Mr. Uiari also thanked the Sports Tok 7s organizing committee, the participating teams, match officials, and the fans for keeping rugby union alive, despite challenges surrounding the code in recent years.

Founded in 2018 by Benson Upas and Elsie Passingan, the annual sporting event has delivered eight successful tournaments and continued to raise its profile, aspiring to be PNG’s premier 7-a-side event. 

The three-day tournament will run during the long Easter weekend from 3-5 April at the home of Papua New Guinea’s spiritual rugby league home ground, the state-of-the-art Santos National Football Stadium.