Tonga, Samoa set for showdown in new World Cup format

Scott Bailey | October 29, 2025

Tonga and Samoa are set to face off in a World Cup showdown next year as part of a unique three-group setup for international rugby league’s showpiece event.

Officials will reveal the draw for the Rugby League World Cup next month, with the October 15 opener between Australia and New Zealand the first of 18 men’s games.

Matches will be hosted in Australia and Papua New Guinea, with a similar weekend schedule to the one used by the NRL expected to be employed for the tournament.

Barring any late changes, Brisbane is expected to host the final in mid-November after also hosting in 2008 and 2017, while Sydney will likely host a semi-final.

There is also expected to be an increase in games played in NSW compared to the 2017 tournament. Several men’s games will be double-headers with women’s fixtures.

Each men’s team will play three group matches, before the top four sides progress to the semis.

AAP has been told the men’s format will allow for Group A to have four teams in it, including the world’s two top-ranked sides in Australia and New Zealand.

The two highest finishers in that group will advance to the last four.

Group B and Group C will then comprise of three teams each. In a unique format, teams will play sides from the opposite group rather than their own.

The two top sides from the six in Groups B and Group C combined will then reach the semi-finals.

Albeit unusual, the system is set to ensure the four best-performing teams make the semis with no team significantly disadvantaged compared to another.

It is understood that Tonga and Samoa will be in opposite groups, meaning the Pacific heavyweights will face off in the preliminary stage of the tournament.

That looms as a significant win for organisers, given the two nations drew a crowd of 44,682 at Suncorp Stadium for their Pacific Cup clash on Sunday.

That crowd figure marked the highest for a Test match in Australia in 11 years.

Neither the NRL or International Rugby League (IRL) would confirm specifics of the draw, but the Tonga-Samoa clash is expected to be played at one of the largest possible venues.

“I’m confident the ARL Commission are designing the tournament to be entertaining, enticing and as family friendly as possible,” IRL chair Troy Grant told AAP.

“Last year we had the most internationals played world wide in the history of the IRL, outside of a World Cup year. The quality is just getting better and better.

“People are yearning for a three-match series between Tonga and Samoa.

“There is a renewed passion for the national jerseys, which has probably been absent for a while.

“We have building blocks for the conversation to get more content available in non-World Cup years.

“That all has to be balanced with CBA restrictions we have for players and competition lengths for Super League and the NRL.”

Grant said NRL clubs needed to be recognised for their effort to allow the international game to grow, by trusting nations to have the right medical staff in place for players.

“It used to be a high risk for the clubs before,” Grant said.

“But the countries have really stepped up to meet the clubs’ reasonable demands around welfare, staffing and facilities”.