Papua New Guinea national Australian rules football team

<!-- Deleted image removed: -->The Papua New Guinea national Australian rules football team (nicknamed the "Mosquitos" and for sponsorship purposes, the Telikom PNG Mosquitos) represents Papua New Guinea in the team sport of Australian rules football.

The Mosquitos represent the best PNG born and bred players from the clubs and teams of AFL PNG and is one of the nation's most successful sporting teams, currently ranked 2nd in the world behind Australia.

Beginning as a state representative team in 1973 (when it participated in the Teal Cup), it debuted internationally against Australia Under 17s in 1977. The team has won three gold medals at the Arafura Games and won their first Australian Football International Cup in 2008.

Identity

The team's nickname is the Mosquitos or "Mozzies" (aka Binatangs - local PNG name for small insects, similar to a mosquito).

The Mosquito's guernsey has the kumul (Raggiana Bird of Paradise, a national symbol of PNG (and element of the national flag of Papua New Guinea), in the national colours of red, black and yellow.

History

In the early 1970s, Australian clubs began touring PNG to compete against selections of local players but it wasn't until 1973 that the national team first began to form.

1977 was a historic year for Papua New Guinean footy. The year saw the first ever international matches involving Australia at under 17 level between Australia and Papua New Guinea. The Australian Under 17 squad toured Papua...
Read More