Woman standing outdoors near a wooden fence, holding a rugby ball, wearing a black t-shirt with 'Rugby League', with trees and a cloudy sky in the background.

it starts with us

WE SELL PRODUCTS AND EXPERIENCES CELEBRATING WOMEN IN RUGBY LEAGUE TO SUPPORT WOMEN AND GIRLS in PAPUA NEW GUINEA

A woman standing outdoors in front of a wooden fence with her hands on her hips, wearing a black t-shirt with 'Rugby League' and a graphic of a rugby player, with trees and a house in the background.

BUY the T-SHIRT

Buy our popular fundraiser t-shirt to directly support our work

Poster for a film titled "Power Meri" showing a group of female athletes in red sports jerseys on a football field. The poster features multiple film festival selection laurels and the question "Can one team realize the dream of millions?" over a blurred background of a stadium filled with spectators.

WATCH the FILM

Donate to watch the award-winning documentary that inspired our creation

A purple and white floral pattern with butterflies and a mirror with the words "Power Meri" and "It Starts With Us." Overlaid text reading "COMING SOON!" in large black font.

shop png products

Stay tuned for our product collaboration with Lavagirl, launching mid-2026

WE reinvest profits to support on and off-field ACTIVITIES identified by women in rugby league

Female rugby league players in muddy field, with some wearing yellow and black uniforms, competing for the ball during a game.

SPORT

Our initial reinvestment stream is on the field - funding training equipment for grassroots women’s rugby league teams in PNG.

EDUCATION

A rugby league ball with a worn, dirty appearance stands upright on a sticky tape roll in place of a kicking tee on a patch of grass, with a blurred background of pavement or a running track.

We plan to support PNG women in rugby league off the field by offering grants and opportunities to complete formal education or vocational skills training.

HEALTH

We will explore partnerships to deliver menstrual and sexual health education for communities within and outside of rugby league.

our story

POWER MERI means Powerful Women in Tok Pisin, one of the national languages of Papua New Guinea (PNG).

RUGBY LEAGUE is the national sport of PNG and a highly visible platform to promote gender equality and deliver positive outcomes for women and girls.

Power Meri is a start-up social enterprise led by women who play and work in rugby league in PNG, inspired by the multi-award-winning documentary film of the same name.

The film told the story of the formation of PNG’s national women’s rugby league team, the PNG Orchids, and the impact of their journey to their first world cup. It amplified the voices of women in PNG rugby league, challenged attitudes about gender roles through a sporting lens, and started new conversations about rugby league’s role in achieving development outcomes for women and girls in PNG.

The social enterprise, born from the film’s legacy and shaped by the women who made and starred in it, seeks to establish an innnovative business model that sells products and experiences celebrating PNG women in rugby league and reinvests profits into on and off-field activities identified by women in rugby league.

We began piloting our social enterprise model in 2023, received a game-changing seed grant from the Olympism365 Innovation Hub in 2024, and started to formalise our strategic direction in 2025.

2026 will be a big year for Power Meri as we enter a new chapter of product collaborations, partnerships and community reinvestment. We invite you to join us on this journey by subscribing below.

Four female rugby league players standing in a line, wearing orange jerseys with sponsorship logos, under a cloudy sky. They have serious expressions and are looking down at the camera.

our motto

IT STARTS WITH US is the motto of our social enterprise and a quote from the film.

When PNG Orchids player Amelia Kuk was interviewed by NBC PNG radio ahead of the team’s departure for their debut world cup (an interview filmed and featured in Power Meri), she was asked about the impact that PNG’s first national women’s rugby league team could have in a country where many women and girls do not have access to the same opportunities as men. She said:

“It starts here, it starts with us. This nation is about to change.”

The Orchids team continues to inspire change in PNG through challenging perceptions about women. The Power Meri documentary inspired further change by capturing and sharing their story. Now the Power Meri social enterprise seeks to inspire social and economic change for women and girls in PNG by harnessing the growing popularity of women’s rugby league, building on this legacy.

A female rugby league player waving with a smile, wearing a black and red jersey, carrying an Papua New Guinea flag in a stadium filled with spectators.

Logos for Advancing Olympism, supported by Beyond Sport and Women Win.

our partners

Contact Us

Interested in partnering or collaborating with Power Meri? Complete the form and we will be in touch.