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The Tonga national rugby league team 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, and have competed at six Rugby League World Cups, starting in 1995 and continuing consecutively until the most recent tournament. Their best result was at the 2017 Rugby League World Cup, where they were semi-finalists.
The Cook Islands national rugby league team have represented the Cook Islands in international rugby league football since 1986. Administered by the Cook Islands Rugby League Association (CIRLA), the team has competed at two Rugby League World Cups, in 2000 and 2013, and are coached by Tony Iro.
The Fiji national rugby league team, nicknamed the Bati, has been participating in international rugby league football since 1992. The team is controlled by the governing body for rugby league in Fiji, Fiji National Rugby League (FNRL), which is currently a member of the Asia-Pacific Rugby League Confederation (APRLC). Fiji have thrice reached the semi-finals of the Rugby League World Cup, in 2008, 2013 and 2017, and are currently ranked 6th in the International Rugby League's World Rankings. They are coached by Fijian Joe Dakuitoga, who was appointed in August 2020, and their captain is Kevin Naiqama.
The Pacific Cup was a rugby league football competition for national teams from the Pacific region.
The Dewsbury Rams are a professional English rugby league club based in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire that compete in the Championship. They play their home games at the FLAIR Stadium, on Owl Lane. The Rams' main fanbase comes from their hometown of Dewsbury, but they also hold a strong following in Shaw Cross as well as in neighbouring Gawthorpe and Ossett, among other places. Prior to the 1997 season, the club was known as Dewsbury R.L.F.C.
The 2004 Pacific Rim Championship and the 2004 Pacific Cup was the 9th Pacific Cup, a rugby league tournament held between Pacific teams. The tournament was hosted in Auckland and for the first time split into two competitions; The Pacific Rim Championship between national teams and the Pacific Cup between Auckland-based selections. In the final of the Pacific Rim competition the Cook Islands defeated New Zealand Māori 46-6 while Samoa XIII defeated Tonga XIII 52–18 to win the Pacific Cup.
Ruben James Wiki is a New Zealand former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. A New Zealand international representative centre-turned-prop forward, he retired with the record for most international appearances of any rugby league player in history. As of 2023, he is still the highest capped Kiwi player ever. At club level Wiki played for the Canberra Raiders, winning the 1994 NSWRL Premiership with them before finishing his career with the New Zealand Warriors. He currently works as the NZRL's High Performance Manager and a High Performance Assistant with the New Zealand Warriors.
The Cook Islands is a third tier rugby union playing nation. They began playing international rugby in early 1971. Thus far, the Cook Islands have not made an appearance at any of the World Cups.
Patrick Ah Van is a Samoa international rugby league footballer who plays as a winger for the Oldham RLFC in RFL League 1.
Etuate Uaisele is a Tongan rugby league footballer who last played for the Dewsbury Rams in the Kingstone Press Championship. He plays as a winger or centre.
Viliami Sikalamu "Sika" Manu is a former professional rugby league footballer who played as a second-row forward for Tonga and New Zealand at international level, being a member of the World Cup winning Kiwi team who beat Australia in the 2008 World Cup Final.
Tere Glassie is a former professional rugby league footballer who played as a prop, second-row or loose forward in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s.
Andy Kelly, also known by the nicknames of "Boot", and "Big Andy", is an English former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s, and coached in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. He played at representative level for England, and at club level for Wakefield Trinity (captain), Hull Kingston Rovers and the Illawarra Steelers, as a second-row, and has coached at representative level for Ireland, and at club level for Wakefield Trinity/Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, Gateshead Thunder, Featherstone Rovers and the Dewsbury Rams.
Dominique Peyroux is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a second-row forward or centre for Toulouse Olympique in the Betfred Championship. He has played for the Cook Islands and Samoa at international level.
Daniel "Danny" Addy is a Scotland international rugby league footballer who plays as a loose forward for the Salford Red Devils in the Betfred Super League.
Tupou Sopoaga is a New Zealand professional rugby union footballer who currently plays for the Southland Stags in the Mitre 10 Cup. He previously played rugby league for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and the Penrith Panthers of the National Rugby League. A Cook Islands international representative, Sopoaga primarily played second-row and lock.
The Pacific Rugby League International is a rugby league test match that has been played between two Pacific Island nations during the National Rugby League's annual representative weekend since 2013. The fixture was held at Penrith Stadium for the 2013 and 2014 test matches. In 2015, two fixtures were held; Samoa and Tonga competed for the Polynesian Cup while Fiji and Papua New Guinea competed for the Melanesian Cup at Cbus Super Stadium. In 2016 the fixtures returned to New South Wales and were held at Parramatta's Pirtek Stadium.
The 2016 Pacific Rugby League International was again split into two games. The first was the Melanesian Cup between Papua New Guinea and Fiji. The second was the Polynesian Cup between Samoa and Tonga.
A list of men and women international rugby league matches played throughout 2019 and does not include wheelchair rugby league international matches. A † denotes a recognised, but unofficial match that did not contribute to the RLIF World Rankings.
Bayley Liu is a Scotland international rugby league footballer who plays as a centre or second-row forward for the Sheffield Eagles in the Betfred Championship.
References
- ↑ "Player Summary: Kane Epati". Rugby League Records. Rugby League Record Keepers Club. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
- ↑ "Pacific Rim Grand Final Cook Islands v NZ Maori". Rugby League in New Zealand. Archived from the original on 30 October 2004. Retrieved 1 August 2022.