Tonga secured a narrow 20-18 victory over Samoa on Sunday at Parramatta Stadium, advancing to the Rugby League World Cup semifinals and ensuring England’s earliest tournament exit in the competition’s history. The match, held before a sold-out crowd, showcased intense physicality and fluctuating momentum as both Pacific Island teams battled for a coveted spot in the final four.

Tonga entered halftime holding an 8-4 advantage after a closely contested opening period marked by high tempo and vigorous defense from both sides. The teams began the encounter with traditional war dances—the Sipi Tau by Tonga and the Siva Tau by Samoa—setting a charged atmosphere for the physical duel that followed.

Sydney Roosters center Rob Toia finally broke the deadlock in the 27th minute for Tonga by scoring under the posts, following two earlier tries that were disallowed. Isaiya Katoa successfully converted Toia’s try and added a penalty kick, extending Tonga’s lead. Samoa responded just before the interval when Brian To’o capitalized on an offload to narrow the gap, leaving the visitors trailing by four points at halftime.

The second half continued with end-to-end action as both teams exchanged tries. Tonga’s Jojo Fifita crossed for a try in the corner, only to be matched by To’o’s second effort for Samoa. Momentum then swung in favor of Samoa, who capitalized on a tiring Tonga defense through tries from Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Ronald Volkman, putting them ahead 18-14 with 10 minutes remaining.

Despite Samoa’s late surge, Tonga rallied to regain the lead, holding on to secure the win and set up a semifinal clash against New Zealand next weekend. Samoa, meanwhile, will face defending champions Australia, who defeated them in the 2022 Rugby League World Cup final.

England, ranked third in the world, had realistically maintained hopes of progressing only if Tonga defeated Samoa by a significant margin of at least 46 points. Brian McDermott’s side therefore exited the tournament at the group stage for the first time in their World Cup history.

“This is probably one of the best games I’ve been a part of,” said Tonga captain Jason Taumalolo. “We knew it was going to be a physical game, and it was going to be tough right from the start. We got ourselves a little lead, but Samoa being an electrifying team made it a contest right to the last minute.”

Tonga’s victory marks a significant milestone for the team and underscores the growing competitiveness of Pacific Island nations in international rugby league.