Tonga will become the first Pacific side to headline a tour of the Northern Hemisphere, with three matches against England set to be confirmed.
In doing so, they will reject the advances of the NRL, who had been attempting to put on a Four Nations-style tournament at the end of the year with Mate Ma’a, Toa Samoa and the Kiwis. It is expected that the Southern Hemisphere tournament will still go ahead, but in a Tri Nations format.
Tonga has long been rumoured in UK media to be the frontline opponent for their autumn schedule. Despite reports from Australia that Tonga would participate in the NRL’s competition, authorities in Europe were always confident that their deal would be honoured.
England will be overjoyed that their offer to Tonga has been accepted, with their new strategic partner, IMG, having prioritised the international game as part of their long-term plan to revitalise the sport in its homeland.
Last year’s Rugby League World Cup was a success on and off the field, with record viewership announced yesterday by International Rugby League (IRL), the global governing body, and England were desperate to cash in on the legacy of the event with a significant touring side in 2023.
They face France on Friday evening (UK time), a game that has been marred by pullouts from leading players, but will now be seen as a live trial for those playing with a place in England’s squad to face Tonga up for grabs.
Australia were always unlikely to tour given their trip to England last year for the World Cup, while the Kiwis are rumoured to be scheduled in for 2024.
Samoa played England twice in the World Cup – including a dramatic semi-final – but their national governing body were never interested in touring twice in two years.
Tonga, however, never faced last year’s hosts and will relish the chance to tour as a headline act, and will likely have insisted on the same conditions that the Kangaroos and Kiwis would have received.
The Daily Telegraph is also reporting that a second tournament will be held in the Southern Hemisphere, featuring PNG, Fiji and the Cook Islands. It is set to be held either in Papua New Guinea or in Fiji.
All international football had previously been contingent on the NRL agreeing a CBA with its players, as the window for representative games falls after the end of the club season and thus has to be factored in to annual leave requirements.
IRL have been waiting to announce a full global calendar for the sport for months, but have been unable to given the protracted dispute between the major competition and its players.
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