2023 Tonga rugby league tour of England

2023 Tonga rugby league tour of England
Date22 October – 4 November 2023
Coach(es)Kristian Woolf
Tour captain(s)Addin Fonua-Blake
Top point scorer(s)Toluta'u Koula (8)
Top try scorer(s)Toluta'u Koula (2)
Summary
P W D L
Total
3 0 0 3
Opponent
P W D L
 England
3 3 0 0

The 2023 Tonga rugby league tour of England was a three-match tour by the Tonga national rugby league team to England in October and November 2023.[1][2]

Background

Official rankings ahead of the tour[3]
RankChangeTeamPts %
4 Steady England80.00
5 Steady Tonga56.00

The tour was the first by a Pacific island nation to England and the first test match series between the two countries.[4] England and Tonga had only played each other three times previously, twice during the 2006 Federation Shield and during the 2017 Rugby League World Cup Semi Final. All three games were won by England. Tonga however, beat Great Britain during the 2019 Lions tour of New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.[5]

Venues

St Helens Huddersfield Leeds
Totally Wicked Stadium Kirklees Stadium Headingley
Capacity: 18,000 Capacity: 24,121 Capacity: 19,700
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20km
12miles
Headingley Stadium
Headingley Stadium
Kirklees Stadium
Kirklees Stadium
Totally Wicked Stadium
Totally Wicked Stadium

Squads

England

The England squad was announced on 17 October 2023.[6] Morgan Smithies and Josh Thewlis were added on 31 October.[7]

Player Club
Matty Ashton England Warrington Wolves
John Bateman Australia Wests Tigers
Tom Burgess Australia South Sydney Rabbitohs
Daryl Clark England Warrington Wolves
Ben Currie England Warrington Wolves
Tyler Dupree England Wigan Warriors
Liam Farrell England Wigan Warriors
Chris Hill England Huddersfield Giants
Tom Johnstone France Catalans Dragons
Toby King England Wigan Warriors
Morgan Knowles England St Helens
Matty Lees England St Helens
Mikey Lewis England Hull KR
Tommy Makinson England St Helens
Mike McMeeken France Catalans Dragons
Robbie Mulhern England Leigh Leopards
Harry Newman England Leeds Rhinos
Victor Radley Australia Sydney Roosters
Harry Smith England Wigan Warriors
Morgan Smithies Australia Canberra Raiders
Josh Thewlis England Warrington Wolves
Danny Walker England Warrington Wolves
Jack Welsby[a] England St Helens
Elliott Whitehead Australia Canberra Raiders
George Williams (c)[a] England Warrington Wolves
Dom Young Australia Newcastle Knights

Tonga

Squad announced on 4 October 2023.[8]

Player Club
Latu Fainu Australia Manly Warringah Sea Eagles
Addin Fonua-Blake (c) New Zealand New Zealand Warriors
Moeaki Fotuaika Australia Gold Coast Titans
Tyson Frizell Australia Newcastle Knights
Siliva Havili Australia South Sydney Rabbitohs
William Hopoate England St Helens
Konrad Hurrell England St Helens
Eliesa Katoa Australia Melbourne Storm
Isaiya Katoa Australia Dolphins
Felise Kaufusi Australia Dolphins
Keaon Koloamatangi Australia South Sydney Rabbitohs
Toluta'u Koula Australia Manly Warringah Sea Eagles
Tuimoala Lolohea England Huddersfield Giants
Haumole Olakau'atu Australia Manly Warringah Sea Eagles
Will Penisini Australia Parramatta Eels
Hame Sele Australia South Sydney Rabbitohs
Moses Suli Australia St. George Illawarra Dragons
Tevita Tatola Australia South Sydney Rabbitohs
Dion Teaupa Australia South Sydney Rabbitohs
Starford To'a Australia Wests Tigers
Daniel Tupou Australia Sydney Roosters
Siua Wong Australia Sydney Roosters

Matches

First test

22 October 2023
14:30 BST (UTC+01:00)
England  22–18  Tonga
Tries: King, Lewis, Johnstone (2)
Goals: Lewis (1/1), Smith (2/3)
 1st: 12–12
2nd: 10–6
Report
 Tries: To'a, Frizell, Koula
Goals: Katoa (3/4)
Totally Wicked Stadium, St Helens
Attendance: 12,898[9]
Referee: Liam Moore (England)
Touch judges: Jonnie Roberts (England), Jack Smith (England)
Player of the Match: Mikey Lewis (England)
Team details
EnglandPositionTonga
NameNumberNumberName
Jack Welsby1
FB
1Will Hopoate
Tommy Makinson2
WG
2Starford To'a
Harry Newman3
CE
3Will Penisini
Toby King4
CE
4Moses Suli
Tom Johnstone5
WG
5Toluta'u Koula
Mikey Lewis6
SO/FE
6Tui Lolohea
Harry Smith7
SH/HB
7Isaiya Katoa
Tom Burgess8
PR
8Addin Fonua-Blake
Daryl Clark9
HK
9Siliva Havili
Mike McMeeken10
PF
10Moeaki Fotuaika
John Bateman11
SR
11Tyson Frizell
Elliott Whitehead12
SR
12Keaon Koloamatangi
Victor Radley13
LF/LK
13Felise Kaufusi
Danny Walker14
IN
14Dion Teaupa
Morgan Knowles15
IN
15Tevita Tatola
Matty Lees16
IN
16Haumole Olakau'atu
Chris Hill17
IN
17Hame Sele
Liam Farrell18
RES
18Eliesa Katoa
Shaun Wane
Coach
Kristian Woolf

Second test

28 October 2023
14:30 BST (UTC+01:00)
England  14–4  Tonga
Tries: Ashton (2)
Goals: Smith (3/4)
 1st: 12–0
2nd: 2–4
Report
 Tries: Koula
Kirklees Stadium, Huddersfield
Attendance: 11,210[10]
Referee: Jack Smith (England)
Touch judges: Chris Kendall (England), Rich Thompson (England)
Team details
EnglandPositionTonga
NameNumberNumberName
Jack Welsby1
FB
1Will Hopoate
Matty Ashton2
WG
2Junior Tupou
Harry Newman3
CE
3Will Penisini
Toby King4
CE
4Moses Suli
Tom Johnstone5
WG
5Toluta'u Koula
Mikey Lewis6
SO/FE
6Tui Lolohea
Harry Smith7
SH/HB
7Isaiya Katoa
Tom Burgess8
PR
8Addin Fonua-Blake
Daryl Clark9
HK
9Siliva Havili
Matty Lees10
PF
10Tevita Tatola
John Bateman11
SR
11Tyson Frizell
Elliott Whitehead12
SR
12Haumole Olakau'atu
Victor Radley13
LF/LK
13Felise Kaufusi
Danny Walker14
IN
14Dion Teaupa
Liam Farrell15
IN
15Moeaki Fotuaika
Chris Hill16
IN
16Keaon Koloamatangi
Mike McMeeken17
IN
17Eliesa Katoa
Ben Currie18
RES
18Hame Sele
Shaun Wane
Coach
Kristian Woolf

Third test

The third test match of the series was played at Headingley Stadium as a double header with an England vs Wales women's international test match being played before the men's fixture.[11]

4 November 2023
14:30 GMT (UTC±00:00)
England  26–4  Tonga
Tries: Currie, Ashton, Whitehead, Newman
Goals: Smith (5/5)
 1st: 14–0
2nd: 12–4
Report
 Tries: E. Katoa (68')
Headingley Stadium, Leeds
Attendance: 15,477[12]
Referee: Chris Kendall (England)
Touch judges: Liam Rush (England), Warren Turley (England)
Team details
EnglandPositionTonga
NameNumberNumberName
Jack Welsby1
FB
1Will Hopoate
Tom Johnstone2
WG
2Will Penisini
Harry Newman3
CE
3Konrad Hurrell
Ben Currie4
CE
4Moses Suli
Matty Ashton5
WG
5Toluta'u Koula
George Williams6
SO/FE
6Tuimoala Lolohea
Harry Smith7
SH/HB
7Isaiya Katoa
Tom Burgess8
PR
8Hame Sele
Daryl Clark9
HK
9Siliva Havili
Matty Lees10
PF
10Felise Kaufusi
John Bateman11
SR
11Tyson Frizell
Elliot Whitehead12
SR
12Haumole Olakau’atu
Robbie Mulhern13
LF/LK
13Keaon Koloamatangi
Danny Walker14
IN
14Latu Fainu
Tyler Dupree15
IN
15Moeaki Fotuaika
Chris Hill16
IN
16Eliesa Katoa
Mike McMeeken17
IN
17Siua Wong
Shaun Wane
Coach
Kristian Woolf

Broadcasting

All three matches of the tour were broadcast live on BBC One, except in Wales where the first two matches of the test series were shown on BBC Two Wales.[13][14]

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 George Williams was serving a ban for the first two matches of the tour. Jack Welsby captained the side in these games.

References

  1. ↑ "England to host Tonga in maiden Test series". BBC Sport. 28 April 2023. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  2. ↑ "England to host Tonga in three-match Test series". National Rugby League. 28 April 2023. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  3. ↑ "SERBIA, PHILIPPINES, WALES BIG MOVERS IN IRL WORLD RANKINGS". 27 July 2023.
  4. ↑ "England to host Tonga in three-game Test series". National Rugby League. April 28, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Great Britain beaten on Test return" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  6. ↑ "England vs Tonga: Wigan Warriors captain Liam Farrell returns for Test series as Shaun Wane names squad". Sky Sports. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  7. ↑ "England v Tonga: Hosts 'obsessed' with series clean sweep says head coach Shaun Wane". BBC Sport. 31 October 2023. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  8. ↑ "Three Super League players named in Tonga squad for England series but big names missing". Yorkshire Post. 4 October 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  9. ↑ Walker, Callum (22 October 2023). "Attendance revealed for England's Test match against Tonga at St Helens". Total Rugby League.
  10. ↑ Walker, Callum (29 October 2023). "Attendance revealed at England-Tonga clash as rugby league fans call for switch in venue". Total Rugby League.
  11. ↑ "Women's home nations clash confirmed: England to take on Wales at Headingley". www.rugby-league.com. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  12. ↑ "Men's international: England v Tonga". BBC Sport.
  13. ↑ "England rugby league: BBC TV to show five international matches this autumn". BBC Sport. 8 September 2023. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
  14. ↑ "BBC Sport to broadcast five England international fixtures, including end-of-year Tonga series". LoveRugbyLeague. 8 September 2023. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
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