Today’s rugby league match between the Great Britain Lions and Tonga Invitational XIII will be formally recognized as an international test match after being approved as such by the International Rugby League, the sport’s global governing body confirmed this week.

"The Tonga Invitational XIII is being treated exactly the same as the Tonga national team in an attempt to maintain continuity for players, fans and opponents during the period of suspension of the national governing body”, the IRL statement said.

The recognition offers some relief to Tonga’s elite rugby league players who have been rejected as “rebels” by their estranged Tonga National Rugby League body (TNRL) after a bitter dispute regarding the sacking of their head coach Kristian Woolf. The TNRL owns the Mate Ma’a Tonga brand name and has refused to recognize the team as a national team.

The TNRL was suspended by the IRL earlier this month but maintains power as Tonga’s National Rugby league authority after successfully gaining a court order from the Tonga Supreme Court rejecting the authority of a newly established body.