Memerang wrap up preparations for historic international

The Singapore Memerang national rugby league team have completed their final
preparations in Port Vila ahead of a historical international against Vanuatu at Korman
Stadium tomorrow (Saturday 6 th June).

The game will mark the first time the Memerang will get to compete for international rankings points having recently submitted all relevant documentation to become an an Observer Member of the International Rugby League (IRL) and Asia-Pacific Rugby League (APRL). The game against Vanuatu will also be the first time the Memerang have played a Pacific opponent.

For Vanuatu, currently ranked 50th in on the IRL world rankings, it will be a long-awaited homecoming, having not hosted an international game since 2016. Indications are that the game will be incredibly well supported at the national stadium which boasts a capacity of 7,000, along with national broadcaster VBTC televising the game both locally and via stream internationally.

For Memerang head coach Dane Campbell it is a return to the Pacific Island nation where he coached the Vanuatu team in their inaugural international game against Greece in Port Vila back in 2011. “It is surreal to think that it was 15 years ago from the very first rugby league international held in Vanuatu, yet it brings back a lot of wonderful memories. The support we received back then will hopefully be replicated tomorrow at Korman Stadium and I know the Vanuatu Rugby League have been working incredibly hard to ensure it is a great occasion”.

“For the Memerang, we are excited by the challenge ahead of us against what will no doubt be a physical Vanuatu team playing on home soil for the first time in a number of years. We performed well in the Asian Championships last November and I know all the players have been looking forward to testing themselves against Pacific opposition for the first time. Our team has a nucleus of returning players from the successful Asian Champs campaign along with a number of new younger players, so I am excited to see how we can perform on the big stage after a good week of preparation”.

Newly elected SGNRL President Tony Marshall also added “Since the Asian Championship success in late November 2025, the SGNRL has been working tirelessly to meet all relevant requirements to become an Observer Member nation of the IRL and APRL. We set ourselves a goal of having everything completed in time for this international in Vanuatu of which we are pleased to say we have no satisfied”.

Kick off time for the Memerang vs Vanuatu international will be at 3pm local time / 12pm
Singapore time, with live stream details to come.