Will Tonga be able to compete in the upcoming World Cup?
Tom Smith, November 24, 2024
Even though they lost to Australia in the end, Tonga will be hoping to improve by the next World Cup after defeating New Zealand en route to the Pacific Championship final.
The tide of red that swept over Auckland and Parramatta was the real triumph, even if Australia won the 2024 Pacific Cup as expected.
And Kristian Woolf’s team gave the top two international rugby league teams a serious scare, riding the surge of momentum created by the crowds of fans swarming “away” fields with red Tongan flags.
Mate Ma’a Tonga almost crushed the Kangaroos on their home pitch to pull off an incredible upset eight days after defeating the Kiwis by a point to secure their spot in the Cup final.
Even though the miracle didn’t happen, most of the 28,728 people who attended CommBank Stadium left with high hopes for the 2026 World Cup. and they do so because they back Tonga.
The biggest story in international rugby league has been Tonga’s rise since Jason Taumalolo, a Kiwi representative who was born in Auckland, decided to play for his parents’ country at the 2017 World Cup.
The enthusiasm is still going strong seven years after that historic ruling.
In fact, it appears to be as strong as ever based on the 2024 Pacific Championships.
Do you need proof? Before Tonga and their horde of supporters arrived in Sydney, no Test match had sold out in thirty years.
Their players are performing well on the pitch, but the Tongan fans are making things hot in the stands.
The 2024 Pacific Championships mark a comeback to form after a poor quarterfinal loss at the 2022 World Cup and a three-nil shutout loss to England during their trip to the UK last autumn.
After taking a 24-0 lead in the first half, Woolf’s charges lost to Australia 18-0 in a close tournament opener in Brisbane before winning that thrilling match in Auckland 25-24.
Everyone was then reminded of the Pacific Islanders’ potential when they return for the 2026 World Cup by the thrilling 20–14 victory over the Australians in the final.
Naturally, the secret is to have access to top talent, which Taumalolo pioneered in 2017.
Many people switched sides and joined the North Queensland Cowboys wrecking ball in that World Cup team, including former Kangaroos Andrew Fifita and Daniel Tupou as well as former Kiwis Manu Vatuvei and Sam Moa.
Elite NRL players now proudly choose to represent their country of heritage, primarily Tonga and Samoa, rather than their country of birth or residency, marking a change.
Examine the large men who began the Pacific Cup Final. One may argue that Patrick Carrigan, Lindsay Collins, Angus Crichton, Hudson Young, Isaah Yeo, and Addin Fonua-Blake, Felise Kaufusi, Humble Olakau’atu, Eliesa Katoa, and Taumalolo are all stronger than them.
After all, Fonua-Blake and Katoa deserved to be on the Dally M Team of the Year.
The spine of Woolf’s weapons is a bit thinner. Lehi Hopoate and Isaiya Katoa are rookies with a lot of potential, while Tui Lolohea and Silvia Havili are seasoned pros.
The entire team would be a different prospect if those two players—the former is 19 and the latter is 20—had two more years of first grade before the 2026 World Cup.
Tonga is now unquestionably deserving of debate with Australia, New Zealand, and England, despite the fact that international rugby league is sometimes chastised for having few truly elite teams.
Additionally, a number of well-known upsets, including many of their own in the years following Taumalolo, can serve as inspiration for them. Consider the New Zealanders this season, the Kangaroos in 2019, and the Kiwis in 2017.
After defeating England in the semi-final, Samoa advanced to the 2022 World Cup final. In the quarterfinal of the 2017 World Cup, Fiji defeated New Zealand. Those two boil-overs occurred on enemy territory.
The fourth World Cup semi-final appearance no longer seems like a second-place finish behind the big three. particularly if there is a Tongan machine rumbling inside.
Encouraged by the Taumalolo defection, Tonga played all of their matches at the 2017 World Cup in New Zealand, with the exception of their opening match against Scotland in distant Cairns.
The Tongan diaspora in Australia will get the opportunity to celebrate their growing community in 2026.
In order to create an atmosphere similar to the Pacific Cup Final match at Parramatta, officials should make sure that future games are played in Sydney’s west.
And those Tongan supporters will genuinely believe that their team can win the biggest award in international rugby league, making them the first country outside of Australia, New Zealand, and Great Britain to do so when they click through the turnstiles.
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