Tonga national rugby league team

In April 2013, Tonga took on Samoa in the '2013 Pacific Rugby League Test' at Penrith Stadium. The International was created as a World Cup warm-up match. Tonga targeted Samoa's weak defence, and it paid off, thrashing the Toa Samoans by 36–4.

Tonga automatically qualified for the 2013 Rugby League World Cup after participating in the 2008 tournament. They took on Scotland, Italy and the Cook Islands in the pool stage. In their first match they took on 'the Scots'. It was a tight and intense rugby league battle, but Scotland won 26–24. Tonga then went on and beat 'the Kukis', 22–16, and Italy, 16–0, but it wasn't enough. Scotland finished the group stage unbeaten, sealing their place in the quarter-final and ending Tonga's World Cup campaign in the process.

In May 2015, Tonga took on Samoa in the 2015 Polynesian Cup at Cbus Super Stadium. The International was part of a triple header which also included the Melanesian Cup, between Papua New Guinea and Fiji, and the Junior Kangaroos against the Junior Kiwis. The game was an absolute thriller with the lead alternating between the teams and the biggest margin throughout the match was only 6 points. However, there was always going to be one winner in the see-saw affair and it was Samoa who upended Mate Ma'a Tonga to win the Polynesian Cup by 18–16.

In October 2015, Tonga took on the Cook Islands in the Asia-Pacific elimination play-off to determine which of the two Asia-Pacific nations qualified for the 2017 Rugby League World Cup. After a tight first half, Mate Ma'a Tonga went on win the match scoring 16 points within the last 20 minutes of the game.

In May 2016, Tonga took on Samoa in the 2016 Polynesian Cup at Pirtek Stadium. The International was part of a triple header which also included the Melanesian Cup, between Papua New Guinea and Fiji, and the Junior Kangaroos against the Junior Kiwis. The traditional pacific rivalry between these two continued as they produced highlights from big hits, to powerful meters, and try-saving tackles when needed. However this year's test-match saw way more errors than last year's and Tonga made most of them and failed to capitalize on their 55% of possession, which therefore resulted in a 12-point defeat in the 2016 Polynesian Cup.

Jason Taumalolo

Tonga fielded their strongest ever team at the 2017 World Cup on the back of Jason Taumalolo and Andrew Fifita choosing to represent their Tongan heritage rather than their respective birthplaces, New Zealand and Australia. Taumalolo, the joint 2016 Dally M Medallist, was described by Fox Sports to be the "undisputed best forward in the NRL" and was expected to be named in the New Zealand squad,[2] while Fifita withdrew from the already-named Australian squad.[3] Taumalolo referenced his close relationship with Tongan coach Kristian Woolf and his desire to strengthen the Tongan squad as motivators,[4] while Fifita cited a desire to give back to his father's family.[3]

In addition, Manu Maʻu declined a likely position in the New Zealand squad,[5] while David Fusitu'a, Solomone Kata, Tuimoala Lolohea, and Sio Siua Taukeiaho dismissed any possibility of a New Zealand re-call in order to represent Tonga.[6] With a mixed heritage, Michael Jennings also committed himself to Tonga after knocking back an approach to represent Fiji.[7]

Tonga quickly became the most heavily backed team in the World Cup, dropping from $81 odds to $17.[3] Entering into the tournament as the 11th ranked team in the world, Tonga comfortably won their opening two group matches, outclassing Scotland 50–4[8] and Samoa 32–18.[9] In their third and final group match, Tonga upset New Zealand 28–22 after trailing 16–2 at half-time. This marked the first time since the introduction of the tiered-nation system that a tier-two team defeated a tier-one team,[10][11] and the first time since Wales defeated England 18–16 in 1995 if applied retroactively.[12] Tonga beat Lebanon 24–22 in a hard-fought quarter-final,[13] but lost 18–20 to England in the semi-final. England were leading 20–0 with 8 minutes remaining before Tonga scored three tries in quick succession, however, a contentious refereeing decision on the last play of the game denied them from progressing to the World Cup final.[14][15]

After Tonga's semi-final against England, which was attended by King Tupou VI, 29 November 2018 was declared a public holiday in Tonga as Mate Ma'a Tonga Day and the entire Tongan squad was invited to the Royal Palace. Each player was honoured as Knight Commander of the Most Illustrious Order of Queen Sālote Tupou III[16][17] for their contribution to sports,[18][19][20][21] while Taumalolo and Lolohea were gifted land in their families' respective villages.[22][16] At the conclusion of the tournament, Tonga jumped to 4th in the RLIF world rankings.[23][24]

Playing for the Kangaroos is the pinnacle in rugby league. If you make that team, you’re up there with the best in the world in your position... But it’s a very different feeling playing for Tonga. There’s more emotion in the Tongan jersey. You know what your family has been through and you think about them every time you put it on.

— Michael Jennings, [25]

Media speculation questioned whether Tonga's star players would return to their tier-one nations after the World Cup, assuming they were to be welcomed back.[26] In the months following, Fifita, an incumbent of the New South Wales squad,[27] Tevita Pangai Junior[28] and Jennings[29] announced they would make themselves unavailable for NSW selection to continue with Tonga, while New Zealand-eligible players Lolohea,[30] Kata,[31] Fusitu'a,[32] and Taumalolo[33] also publicly confirmed their allegiance to Tonga ahead of their match against Samoa on 23 June 2018. Additionally, Addin Fonua-Blake announced his intention to represent Tonga after playing for New Zealand at the World Cup,[34] commenting "I really enjoyed my time with the Kiwis but it just didn't feel like home."[35] As a consequence, New Zealand's squad for their match against England on 24 June 2018 contained just one Tongan-eligible player, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, who reportedly pledged his loyalty to the Kiwis to honour his great-grandfather Puti Tipene Watene, the first Māori to captain the side.[36]

In a much anticipated fixture, Tonga faced Australia for the first time ever on 20 October 2018, losing 34–16.[37]

On 22 June 2019, Tonga faced New Zealand again at Mount Smart Stadium as part of the 2019 Oceania Cup. The Kiwis won 34–14 in a dominant display. After the NRL season ended, Tonga played against the touring Great Britain on 26 October, winning 14–6 at Waikato Stadium in Hamilton. This was Great Britain's first match after a twelve-year hiatus.[38] The following week at Auckland's Eden Park, Tonga faced the Australia in an Oceania Cup match. Tonga stunned the world number one nation, winning 16–12.[39] This match was labelled one of the greatest upsets in rugby league history, marking the first time Australia had lost to a tier 2 nation since 1978.[40] Jason Taumalolo rated the win above his NRL grand final victory with the North Queensland Cowboys in 2015.[41]

Tonga will compete at the 2021 Rugby League World Cup in England, having qualified automatically as semi-finalists of the 2017 tournament.

The Tonga national team squad for the 2019 Oceania Cup and 2019 Great Britain Lions tour.[42]

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Pts	Club
Fullback	William Hopoate (Captain)	(1992-05-09) 9 May 1992	9	12	St Helens RFC
Wing	David Fusitu'a	(1994-10-16) 16 October 1994	7	20	Leeds Rhinos
Wing	Daniel Tupou	(1991-06-17) 17 June 1991	12	24	Sydney Roosters
Centre	Konrad Hurrell	(1991-08-05) 5 August 1991	9	8	St Helens RFC
Centre	Michael Jennings	(1988-04-20) 20 April 1988	11	36	Parramatta Eels
Centre	Kotoni Staggs	(1998-10-29) 29 October 1998	1	0	Brisbane Broncos
Five-eighth	John Asiata	(1993-04-19) 19 April 1993	1	0	Leigh Centurions
Five-eighth	Tuimoala Lolohea	(1995-01-23) 23 January 1995	10	18	Huddersfield Giants
Halfback	Mafoa'aeata Hingano	(1997-03-11) 11 March 1997	8	26	Leigh Centurions
Prop	Andrew Fifita	(1989-06-28) 28 June 1989	8	0	Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
Prop	Addin Fonua-Blake	(1995-11-06) 6 November 1995	4	0	New Zealand Warriors
Prop	Ben Murdoch-Masila	(1991-02-07) 7 February 1991	11	4	New Zealand Warriors
Prop	Joe Ofahengaue	(1995-09-15) 15 September 1995	6	0	Wests Tigers
Prop	Tevita Tatola	(1996-11-10) 10 November 1996	2	4	South Sydney Rabbitohs
Prop	Sio Siua Taukeiaho (Captain)	(1992-01-03) 3 January 1992	9	50	Sydney Roosters
Hooker	Siliva Havili	(1993-02-18) 18 February 1993	11	8	South Sydney Rabbitohs
Hooker	Sione Katoa	(1995-01-26) 26 January 1995	9	0	Canterbury Bulldogs
Second-row	Manu Ma'u	(1988-08-24) 24 August 1988	10	4	Hull FC
Second-row	Sitili Tupouniua	(1997-05-30) 30 May 1997	2	0	Sydney Roosters
Lock	Tevita Pangai Junior	(1996-02-04) 4 February 1996	5	8	Canterbury Bulldogs
Lock	Jason Taumalolo (Captain)	(1993-05-31) 31 May 1993	11	8	North Queensland Cowboys

Since rugby league has been introduced to the nation of Tonga in 1986 many players of Tongan birth or heritage have gone on to attain notability by participating in domestic rugby-league club competitions globally but mostly in NRL and Super League both top-level domestic rugby-league club competitions and known internationally. Also they attain notability in representing Tonga, other nations (Mainly Australia or New Zealand) or including other nations. A list of seventeen former notable players below that have appeared in top-level domestic rugby-league club competitions (NRL & Super League) and played internationally for Tonga and including other nations between 1986 & 2018: