The 2023 Tonga rugby league tour of England was a three-match
tour
Tour or Tours may refer to:
Travel
* Tourism, travel for pleasure
* Tour of duty, a period of time spent in military service
* Campus tour, a journey through a college or university's campus
* Guided tour, a journey through a location, directed b ...
by the
Tonga national rugby league team
The Tonga national rugby league team ( to, timi līki ʻakapulu fakafonua ʻa Tonga) represents Tonga in rugby league football. They are currently the second ranked team in the world. The team was formed to compete in the 1986 Pacific Cup, an ...
to England in October and November 2023.
Background
The tour was the first by a Pacific island nation to England and the first test match series between the two countries.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
and
Tonga
Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...
had only played each other three times previously, twice during the 2006
Federation Shield
The inaugural Federation Shield rugby league competition was held in 2006. This competition is organised by the Rugby Football League and was contested by England, France, Samoa and Tonga. England defeated Tonga 32-14 in the final to lift the Feder ...
and during the
2017 Rugby League World Cup
The 2017 Rugby League World Cup was the fifteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup tournament and took place in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea between 27 October and 2 December 2017. The tournament featured the national teams ...
Semi Final. All three games were won by England. Tonga however, beat
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
during the
2019 Lions tour of New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.
Venues
Squads
''Stats are for the tour only''
England
The England squad was announced on 17 October 2023.
Morgan Smithies and
Josh Thewlis were added on 31 October.
Tonga
Squad announced on 4 October 2023.
Notes
Several squad members have previously played for other nations:
* :
Tyson Frizell,
Felise Kaufusi
Felise Kaufusi (born 19 May 1992) is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a er for the Dolphins (NRL), Dolphins in the National Rugby League, NRL, and has played for Tonga national rugby league team, Tonga and Australia national ...
, and
Daniel Tupou
Daniel Tupou (born 17 June 1991) is a professional rugby league footballer who plays on the for the Sydney Roosters in the NRL. He has played for Tonga and Australia at international level.
Tupou has played for the City Origin, New South W ...
. Frizell and Tupou have also played for the
Australian Prime Minister's XIII.
* :
Siua Wong
Siua Wong (born 4 April 2003) is a Fiji national rugby league team, Fiji international rugby league footballer who plays as a forward for the Sydney Roosters in the National Rugby League, NRL.
Background
He was born in Middlemore, New Zealand. ...
.
* :
Addin Fonua-Blake
Addin Fonua-Blake (born 6 November 1995) is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a for the New Zealand Warriors in the NRL. He has played for both Tonga and New Zealand at international level.
He previously played for the Man ...
,
Siliva Havili
Siliva Havili (born 18 February 1993) is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a and for the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the National Rugby League (NRL). He has played for both Tonga and New Zealand at international level.
He pre ...
and
Tuimoala Lolohea
Tuimoala Lolohea (born 23 January 1995) is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a or for the Huddersfield Giants in the Betfred Super League. He has played for both New Zealand and Tonga at international level.
Lolohea previou ...
.
* :
Tyson Frizell.
Matches
First test
Second test
Third test
The third test match of the series was played at Headingley Stadium
Headingley Stadium is a stadium complex in Headingley, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, comprising two separate grounds; Headingley Cricket Ground and Headingley Rugby Stadium, linked by a two-sided stand housing common facilities. The grounds a ...
as a double header with an England vs Wales women's international test match.