2023 Tonga rugby league tour of England


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.

Background

The tour was the first by a Pacific island nation to England and the first test match series between the two countries. 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.

Squads

England

The England squad was announced on 17 October 2023. Morgan Smithies and Josh Thewlis were added on 31 October.
PlayerClub
Matty Ashton

Tonga

Squad announced on 4 October 2023.
PlayerClub
sortname|Addin|Fonua-Blake

Matches

First test



Second test



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.


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.