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IRL Board approves application for Ponga to represent Kiwis

The International Rugby League Board has unanimously approved an application by Kalyn Ponga to switch Tier 1 eligibility from Australia to New Zealand.
 
Ponga, the 2023 Dally M Medallist as NRL player of year with the Newcastle Knights, was born in Western Australia to New Zealand parents. He spent time growing up in New Zealand before the family moved to Queensland.
 
He has played State of Origin for Queensland and represented his Māori heritage but has not been eligible for the Kiwis after representing Australia at World Cup 9s.
 
Australian Rugby League Commission Chair Peter V'landys supported Ponga's application after speaking to him about his desire to switch his international allegiance to New Zealand. The move is in line with recent changes to State of Origin eligibility rules, enabling New Zealand and England players who qualify for NSW or Queensland to play for their state.  
 
IRL eligibility rules state that players who have “elected”, by being named in the 19-player-squad for a Senior International Match or selected in a squad for an official international 9s competition for a Tier 1 nation (Australia, England and New Zealand) are unable to switch to another Tier 1 nation.
 
Ponga represented Australia at the 2019 IRL 9s World Cup in Sydney but has not played a Senior International Match for the Kangaroos.
 
At the time, the World Cup 9s was part of IRL’s calendar planning and it was intended to be held every four years. However, the tournament has effectively been discontinued and is not part of IRL’s medium term planning.
 
Ponga said in his application that while he was grateful for the opportunity represent Australia at a young age his heart was with New Zealand.
 
"While I was born in Australia, my connection to New Zealand runs deep through every generation o f my family. M y father, Andre Ponga, was born in Palmerston North, and my mother, Adine Ponga, was born in Wellington. All four o f my grandparents were also born in New Zealand. My roots, my whakapapa, and my identity are firmly grounded i n
this country and its people," he wrote.
 
"I am immensely proud o f m y Mãori heritage, and that pride has oniy grown stronger with each passing year. I have had the privilege of representing the Mãori All Stars on three occasions, and those experiences have only deepened my connection to New Zealand rugby league and to the broader Mãori community.
 
"I want to be transparent about my representative history at the Australian level. My only appearances for Australia were in the Junior Kangaroos and the Rugby League World 9's, both in 2019. These were appearances I am grateful for; however, upon reflection, they d o not reflect where my heart, my heritage, and my deepest sense of belonging
truly lie.
 
"With the new State of Origin eligibility rules recently announced by the NRL, I am respectfully requesting an exemption that would make me available for the New Zealand Kiwis Test team going forward, as well as for Queensland in State of Origin.
 
"I believe this request is both reasonable and consistent with the spirit of the eligibility framework, given the strength and clarity of my New Zealand lineage.

"I approach this request with the utmost respect for the International Rugby League, for the process, and for the significance of the decision. I am committed to contributing at the highest level of the game and representing New Zealand with the saine pride, passion, and dedication I bring to every aspect of my career."
 
An IRL tribunal last year ruled that Gold Coast Titans utility AJ Brimson, who also played for Australia at the World Cup 9s in 2019, could switch allegiances to represent his English heritage, through his mother. Brimson played for England against Australia during the 2025 Ashes Series. 
  
Like Brimson, the IRL Board felt that Ponga was being unfairly restricted as players who had opted to represent a country at the 9s World Cup had done so based on a different set of circumstances to players who elect for a country through a 13-a-side SIM. While SIMs are continuously played, international 9s competitions are not.
 
IRL Chair Troy Grant said: "I was honoured to inform Kalyn of the IRL Board's unanimous decision to approve his application to be eligible for New Zealand and he was very grateful.
 
“The strength of international rugby league is the passion of the players to represent their nations and families, and the aim of the international eligibility rules is to ensure that the best players play for nations that they are eligible to represent."