Tonga national rugby league team

The Tonga national rugby league team (Tongan: timi līki ʻakapulu fakafonua ʻa Tonga) represents Tonga in rugby league football. They are currently the 4th ranked team in the world. The team was formed to compete in the 1986 Pacific Cup, and have competed at six Rugby League World Cups, starting in 1995 and continuing consecutively until the most recent tournament. Their best result was at the 2017 Rugby League World Cup, where they were semi-finalists.

Tonga
Team information
NicknameMate Ma'a Tonga
Governing bodyTonga Rugby League XIII
RegionAsia-Pacific
Head coachKristian Woolf
CaptainAddin Fonua-Blake &
Jason Taumalolo
Most capsTui Lolohea (22)
Top try-scorerDaniel Tupou (12)
Top point-scorerIsaiya Katoa (67)
IRL ranking4th
Uniforms
First colours
Team results
First international
 Tonga 34–16 Western Samoa 
(Rarotonga, Cook Islands; 29 October 1986)
Biggest win
 Tonga 92-10 Cook Islands 
(Middlesbrough, England; 31 October 2022)
Biggest defeat
 New Zealand 74–0 Tonga 
(Auckland, New Zealand; 23 October 1999)
World Cup
Appearances5 (first time in 1995)
Best result Semifinals (2017)

Formerly administered by the Tonga National Rugby League, the team is now in a state of limbo with administration. They wear a predominantly red uniform with white sides and are associated with the phrase Mate Ma'a Tonga (English: Die for Tonga). They are coached by Australian Kristian Woolf, and captained by Addin Fonua-Blake.

History

Rugby league first gained attention in Tonga when the Pacific Cup was partially held in the country during 1986. After this initial exposure to the Tongan people several clubs began to form or switch from rugby union to rugby league and by 1988 the nation had enough depth in their player pool to begin playing national fixtures and entered the 1988 Pacific Cup competition held in Apia, Samoa. During that Pacific Cup the Tongans played in three fixtures winning a sole match while losing the other two, with their first international victory coming against the American Samoa side a match that ended 38–14.

Over the next two years the national side sporadically played international fixtures but it was not until the 1992 Pacific Cup when they again began playing with some regularity. At the 1992 Cup competition the side showed significant improvement on their previous inaugural cup effort with victories over , Cook Islands, Fiji and the New Zealand Maori. This run of victories earned them a place in the final of the 1992 Pacific Cup against the Western Samoan side but they eventually lost a close fought match by four points 18–14. The following tournament two years later saw the Tongan side show further improvement with several comfortable victories again earning them a spot in final of the Pacific Cup this time against the Fijians who had never defeated the Tongans at that time. The Mate Ma'a were again victorious over Fiji 34–11 and claimed their maiden Pacific Cup title.

During 1995 Tonga qualified for their first World Cup and were seeded in the strong group B with both New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. They narrowly lost to the New Zealand team by a single point and earned a draw against Papua New Guinea.

The next four years saw the Tongan side appear in a further Pacific Cup in 1997 and then qualify for the 2000 World Cup with comfortable victories over Cook Islands, Tokelau and American Samoa. Prior to appearing at the 2000 competition the Tongans arranged a friendly fixture against the New Zealand side but lost 74–0.

After the heavy defeat to New Zealand their next international fixture was during their second World Cup where the Tongans were again placed in a group with France, Papua New Guinea again, and South Africa. Tonga faced South Africa in their first match of the tournament where they won 66–18, however they lost to both France and Papua New Guinea meaning the Tongans again failed to make it past the first stage of the tournament.

The Pacific Cup saw the Tongans again qualify for the tournament final with victories over both the Cook Islands and Fiji but the side suffered defeat at the hands of neighbouring Samoa 51–18. 2006 saw the Tongan side re-enter the Pacific Cup where again they performed strongly qualifying for their second consecutive final where this time they reversed their previous effort with a strong victory over Fiji 22–4 giving them their second Pacific Cup title. 2006 continued to be a busy year of international fixtures for the Tongans which saw them gain qualification into the 2008 World Cup after they finished top of their Pacific group ahead of the Cook Islands, Fiji and Samoa and then defeat the Samoans 18–10 in the qualifying final. They also entered the inaugural Federation Shield competition along with England, France and Samoa and eventually finish second. England to face Tonga in League final to the English in the final 32–14 after they had defeated both France and Samoa.

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 beat 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. Samoa beat 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 match resulted in a 12-point defeat to Samoa in the 2016 Polynesian Cup.

Tonga fielded its strongest ever team at the 2017 World Cup after Jason Taumalolo and Andrew Fifita chose to represent their Tongan heritage rather than their respective birthplaces, New Zealand and Australia. At the time, they were considered to be among the best forwards in the world. Both players cited a desire to honour family and strengthen the Tongan team as motivating factors for their defections, while Taumalolo's relationship with Tonga head coach Kristian Woolf was also acknowledged.

In addition, Manu Maʻu declined a likely position in the New Zealand squad, 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. Michael Jennings also committed himself to Tonga after declining an opportunity to represent Fiji.

Tonga quickly became the most heavily backed team in the World Cup, dropping from $81 odds to $17. Entering into the tournament as the 11th ranked team in the world, Tonga comfortably won their opening two group matches, outclassing Scotland 50–4 and Samoa 32–18. 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, and the first time since Wales defeated England 18–16 in 1995 if applied retroactively. Tonga beat Lebanon 24–22 in a hard-fought quarter-final, and then lost 18–20 to England in the semi-final. England were leading 20–0 with 8 minutes remaining until Tonga scored three tries in quick succession, however, a contentious refereeing decision in the last seconds of the game denied them scoring a fourth try and progressing to the World Cup final.

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, AthletesVoice

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. Every player was honoured as Knight Commander of the Most Illustrious Order of Queen Sālote Tupou III for their contribution to sports. At the conclusion of the tournament, Tonga jumped to 4th in the RLIF world rankings.

After the tournament, several players publicly reaffirmed their allegiance to the Tongan team as the media speculated whether they would return to their tier-one nations, assuming they were to be welcomed back. Addin Fonua-Blake also announced his intention to represent Tonga after playing for New Zealand at the World Cup, commenting "I really enjoyed my time with the Kiwis but it just didn't feel like home." 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.

Tonga faced Australia for the first time ever on 20 October 2018, losing 34–16.

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. 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, their best win in their history.

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. Jason Taumalolo rated the win above his 2015 NRL Grand Final victory with the North Queensland Cowboys.

Tonga competed at the 2021 Rugby League World Cup in England, having qualified automatically as semi-finalists of the 2017 tournament. The tournament was delayed until 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The team won all three group games, before falling 18-20 against Samoa in a 'classic' quarter-final that was lauded for its 'athleticism, power and superb ball-handling skills'.

Tonga made history in 2023 with their tour of England, being the first Pacific Island nation to tour a European country.

In the 2024 Rugby League Pacific Championships, Tonga were widely praised for their performance finishing runners-up, highlighting the nation's development in recent years.

Identity

Kit suppliers and sponsors

Period Kit provider Sponsor on front of shirt Sponsor on top of back of shirt Sponsor on sleeves
2019–present Dynasty Sport Sky Sport

Tonga's kit suppliers are ISC since 2018. Classic (1995 RLWC), Mitre (2000 RLWC), Kombat (2004–2005), KooGa (2006–2012) and FI-TA (2013–2018) were previous suppliers. As of 2019, the current kit supplier is Dynasty Sport.

Coaching staff

Also see Category:Tonga national rugby league team coaches.

No. Name Years G W L D %
1 Graham Mattson 1994
2 Mike McClennan 1995–1998 3 0 2 1 0
3 Murray Hurst 1998–2000 8 6 2 0 75
4 Duane Mann 2006-2007 7 5 2 0 80
5 Jim Dymock 2006–2008 8 4 4 0 50
6 Rohan Smith 2009 3 0 0 0 0
7 Charlie Tonga 2010–2013 5 3 2 0 60
8 Kristian Woolf 2014–present 15 9 6 0 60
9 Dean Young (caretaker) 2022 0 0 0 0 0

Players

Current squad

The Tongan squad for the 2025 Pacific Championships. The squad was announced on 7 October 2025.

Jersey numbers in the table reflect the Round 3 match versus New Zealand

Statistics in this table are compiled from the website, Rugby League Project. They include the match versus New Zealand on 2 November 2025.

J# Player Age Position(s) Tonga Club NRL
Matches
Other Reps
Dbt M T G F P
1 Lehi Hopoate 20 Fullback, Wing 2024 5 0 0 0 0 Manly Warringah Sea Eagles 36
2 Daniel Tupou 34 Wing 2013 21 13 0 0 52 Sydney Roosters 289 1 2 10 1 2
19 Will Penisini 23 Centre 2022 8 5 0 0 20 Parramatta Eels 100
4 Paul Alamoti 21 Centre 2024 4 0 0 0 0 Penrith Panthers 54
5 Sione Katoa 28 Wing 2022 10 4 0 0 16 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 128
6 Isaiah Iongi 22 Five-eighth, Fullback 2025 2 0 0 0 0 Parramatta Eels 22
7 Isaiya Katoa 21 Halfback 2022 11 2 33 1 75 Dolphins (NRL) 68
8 Addin Fonua-Blake 29 Prop 2017 16 1 0 0 4 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 209 1
9 Siliva Havili 32 Hooker 2013 21 3 0 0 12 South Sydney Rabbitohs 173 1 2
16 Moeaki Fotuaika 25 Prop 2022 10 1 0 0 4 Gold Coast Titans 163 11
11 Eliesa Katoa 25 Second-row 2023 7 2 0 0 8 Melbourne Storm 118
15 Kulikefu Finefeuiaki 21 Second-row 2025 1 0 0 0 0 Dolphins (NRL) 57
13 Jason Taumalolo 32 Lock 2013 18 4 0 0 16 North Queensland Cowboys 285 10 2 1
14 Soni Luke 29 Hooker 2022 10 1 0 0 4 Penrith Panthers 26
10 Felise Kaufusi 33 Second-row, Lock 2015 15 1 0 0 4 Dolphins (NRL) 223 1 17
12 Siua Wong 22 Second-row 2023 5 0 0 0 0 Sydney Roosters 40 4
17 Demitric Vaimauga 21 Second-row 2025 2 1 0 0 4 New Zealand Warriors 31
18 Leka Halasima 20 Second-row 2025 1 0 0 0 0 New Zealand Warriors 29
3 Toluta'u Koula 23 Centre 2022 8 3 0 0 12 Manly Warringah Sea Eagles 82
IJ Robert Toia 21 Centre 2025 1 0 0 0 0 Sydney Roosters 22 3
C Stefano Utoikamanu 25 Prop 2025 1 0 0 0 0 Melbourne Storm 103 3

Notes

  • Six members of the squad have previously played for other international teams:
    •  Fiji (1): Wong.
    •  New Zealand (3): Fonua-Blake, Havili, Taumalolo. Taumalolo also played one match for the NRL All Stars
    •  Australia (2): Kaufusi and Tupou in 2014. Tupou has played for the Prime Minister's XIII.
  • Three members of the squad played in other representative matches:
    • The Tonga Invitational team in 2019 (3): Havili, Taumalolo, and Tupou.
  • Four members of the squad have played State of Origin.
    • NSW (2): Utoikamanu and Tupou. Tupou also played for NSW City.
    • Queensland (3): Fotuaika, Kaufusi, and Toia.

Notable former players

Since rugby league was introduced to the nation of Tonga in 1986 many players of Tongan birth or heritage have gone on to attain notability by participating in NRL or Super League, or both. Additionally many Tongan heritage players have represented other nations (mainly Australia or New Zealand) in addition to Tonga.

A list of seventeen former notable Tongan heritage players below that have played in NRL & Super League all played internationally for Tonga, with twelve of them also having played for other nations.

Player International Team(s) Represented Rugby League World Cup Appearances
Martin Masella (Captained) Tonga 1995 & 2000
Tevita Vaikona Tonga 1995 & 2000
Lopini Paea (Captained) Tonga 2008
Etu Uaisele Tonga 2008
Feleti Mateo Tonga 2008
John Hopoate Tonga, Australia 1995 (Represented Australia)
Jim Dymock Tonga, Australia 1995 (Represented Australia)
Willie Mason Tonga, Australia 2000
Brent Kite (Captained) Tonga, Australia 2000, 2008 (Represented Australia) & 2013
Antonio Kaufusi Tonga, Australia 2008
Duane Mann (Captained) Tonga, New Zealand 1995 & 2000
George Mann Tonga, New Zealand 1995
Awen Guttenbeil Tonga, New Zealand 1995 & 2008
Fuifui Moimoi Tonga, New Zealand 2013
Epalahame Lauaki Tonga, New Zealand 2008
Tevita Latu Tonga, New Zealand 2008
'Sika Manu (Captained) Tonga, New Zealand 2008 (Represented New Zealand), 2013 & 2017

Records

  • Bold- denotes that the player is still active.

Most capped players

# Name Career Caps
1 Tuimoala Lolohea 2015-2024 22
2 Siliva Havili 2013-2025 21
Daniel Tupou 2013-2025 21
4 Jason Taumalolo 2013, 2017-2025 19
5 Addin Fonua-Blake 2017-2025 16
6 Ben Murdoch-Masila 2013-2022 15
Will Hopoate 2017-2023 15
Sio Siua Taukeiaho 2014-2022 15

Top try scorers

# Name Career Tries
1 Daniel Tupou 2013-2025 12
2 Michael Jennings 2008, 2017–2019 10
3 Etuate Uaisele 2006-2013 7
4 Makasini Richter 2000-2006 6

Top points scorers

# Name Career Points Tries Goals Field Goals
1 Isaiya Katoa 2022-2025 67 2 29 1
2 Sio Siua Taukeiaho 2014-2022 60 2 26 0
3 Daniel Tupou 2013-2025 48 12 0 0
4 Joel Taufa'ao 2004-2009 44 2 18 0

Competitive record

Overall

The following table underneath shows Tonga's all-time rugby league results record up to 10 November 2024. Matches include those played as the Tonga Invitational XIII side. They have been participating in International fixtures since 1986.

Country Matches Won Drawn Lost % Won Year/s
 American Samoa 2 2 0 0 100% 1988–1998
 Australia* 4 1 0 3 25% 2018–2024
Australian Aboriginies 1 0 0 1 0% 1994
 Cook Islands 12 11 0 1 91.67% 1988–2022
 England 6 0 0 6 0% 2006–2023
 France 2 1 0 1 50% 2000–2006
 Fiji 12 6 1 5 50% 1992–2017
Presidents XIII 1 1 0 0 100% 1994
 Great Britain* 1 1 0 0 100% 2019
 Ireland 1 1 0 0 100% 2008
 Italy 2 2 0 0 100% 2013–2017
 Lebanon 1 1 0 0 100% 2017
 Māori 8 3 0 5 37.5% 1986–2006
 New Zealand 8 2 0 6 25% 1995–2024
New Zealand Residents 1 0 0 1 0% 1997
 Niue 3 3 0 0 100% 1990–1994
 Papua New Guinea 9 1 1 7 11.11% 1995–2022
Samoa 22 11 1 10 50% 1986–2022
 Scotland 3 2 0 1 66.67% 2008–2017
 South Africa 1 1 0 0 100% 2000
 Tokelau 4 4 0 0 100% 1986–2006
 United States 1 1 0 0 100% 2012
 Wales 1 1 0 0 100% 2022
Total 106 56 3 47 52.83% 1986–
*Includes matches played as Tonga Invitational.

Margins and streaks

Biggest winning margins

Margin Score Opponent Venue Date
82 92–10 Cook Islands Riverside Stadium 30 Oct 2022
48 48–0 Scotland Browne Park 8 Nov 2008
48 66–18 South Africa Charlety 28 Oct 2000
46 50–4 Scotland Barlow Park 29 Oct 2017
36 48–12 France The Shay Stadium 9 Oct 2022
32 36–4 Samoa Centrebet Stadium 20 Apr 2013

Biggest losing margins

Margin Score Opponent Venue Date
37 19–56 Papua New Guinea Hubert Murray 8 July 1996
30 14–44 Papua New Guinea Lloyd Robson 25 Oct 2009
28 6–34 Samoa Suncorp Stadium 26 Oct 2025
22 4–26 England Headingley Stadium 4 Nov 2023
20 14–34 New Zealand Go Media Stadium 22 Jun 2019
20 6–26 New Zealand Go Media Stadium 25 Jun 2022

Competitions

World Cup Record
Year Round Position Pld Win Draw Loss
1954 did not enter
1957
1960
1968
1970
1972
1975
1977
1985–88
1989–92
1995 Group Stage 7th out of 10 2 0 1 1
2000 Group Stage 9th out of 16 3 1 0 2
2008 Group Stage 7th out of 10 3 2 0 1
2013 Group Stage 9th out of 14 3 2 0 1
2017 Semi-final 3rd out of 14 5 4 0 1
2021 Quarter-final 5th out of 16 4 3 0 1
2026 qualified

Rugby League Pacific Championship

Rugby League Pacific Championship record
Year Round Position GP W L D
2019 Third place 3/3 2 1 1 0
2024 Second place 2/3 3 1 2 0
Total 0 Titles 3/4 5 2 3 0

Attendance records

Highest all-time attendances

Attendance Opposing team Venue Tournament
44,682  Samoa Lang Park, Brisbane 2025 Pacific Championships
33,196  Australia Lang Park, Brisbane 2024 Pacific Championships
30,003  England Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland 2017 Rugby League World Cup Semi-final
28,728  Australia Western Sydney Stadium, Sydney 2024 Pacific Championships Final
26,218  Australia Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland 2018 Tonga vs Australia
25,257  Australia Eden Park, Auckland 2019 Oceania Cup

Highest attendances per opponent

Attendance Opposing team Venue Tournament
44,682  Samoa Lang Park, Brisbane 2025 Pacific Championships
33,196  Australia Lang Park, Brisbane 2024 Pacific Championships
30,003  England Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland 2017 Rugby League World Cup Semi-final
24,041  New Zealand Waikato Stadium, Hamilton 2017 Rugby League World Cup
18,271  Fiji Campbelltown Stadium, Sydney 2017 Pacific Tests
10,666  Italy The Shay, Halifax 2013 Rugby League World Cup
10,554  Cook Islands Leigh Sports Village, Leigh 2013 Rugby League World Cup
10,409  Papua New Guinea Langtree Park, St Helens 2021 Rugby League World Cup
10,288  France Stade Albert Domec, Carcassonne 2000 Rugby League World Cup
9,216  Scotland Barlow Park, Cairns 2017 Rugby League World Cup
8,309  Lebanon Rugby League Park, Christchurch 2017 Rugby League World Cup Quarter Final
7,752  Wales Langtree Park, St Helens 2021 Rugby League World Cup
7,498  South Africa Stade Sébastien Charléty, Paris 2000 Rugby League World Cup
6,165  Ireland Parramatta Stadium, Sydney 2008 Rugby League World Cup

IRL Rankings

Official rankings as of November 2025
Rank Change Team Pts %
1  Australia 100
2  New Zealand 79
3  England 72
4 1  Samoa 56
5 1  Tonga 52
6  Papua New Guinea 45
7  Fiji 33
8  France 23
9 1  Cook Islands 23
10 1  Serbia 23
11 2  Netherlands 22
12 3  Ukraine 20
13 1  Wales 18
14 4  Ireland 16
15 1  Greece 15
16 3  Malta 14
17  Italy 11
18 2  Jamaica 8
19  United States 7
20 5  Poland 7
21 5  Lebanon 7
22 5  Norway 6
23 3  Germany 6
24 3  Czech Republic 6
25 2  Chile 6
26 2  South Africa 5
27 3  Philippines 5
28 6  Scotland 5
29  Brazil 4
30 1  Canada 4
31 1  Kenya 3
32 2  Morocco 3
33  North Macedonia 3
34 1  Argentina 2
35 3  Montenegro 2
36  Albania 1
37 3  Turkey 1
38 1  Bulgaria 1
39 1  Ghana 1
40 1  Nigeria 1
41 3  Colombia 0
42 1  Cameroon 0
43 1  Japan 0
44 1  Spain 0
45 1  Russia 0
46 1  El Salvador 0
47  Bosnia and Herzegovina 0
48  Hong Kong 0
49  Solomon Islands 0
50  Vanuatu 0
51  Hungary 0
52  Latvia 0
53  Denmark 0
54  Belgium 0
55  Estonia 0
56  Sweden 0
57  Niue 0
Complete rankings at
www.internationalrugbyleague.com

Honours

  • Pacific Cup: 2
1994, 2006

See also

  • Rugby league in Tonga
  • Tonga women's national rugby league team

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