“Let us all act like good sports men and women,” King Tupou VI told a gathering at his royal residence, The Villa, Mata-ki-‘Eua yesterday, 14 November, to honour the success of Tonga’s Invitational XIII Rugby League team in the 2019 Oceania Cup rugby League Tournament.

The national team, playing as Tonga Invitation XIII Rugby League team had an outstanding victory beating the Australian Kangaroo 16-12, and a touring British Lion rugby league team 14-6.

The team members visited to Tonga to celebrate their victory. The national team is no longer called the Mate-ma’a-Tonga following a dispute with the local administrators.

King Tupou VI called on Tonga rugby League officials to “let us put aside our division . . . We can do more if we are united – Mate-Ma’a-Tonga has shown . .”

“Imagine if our resources are pushed  in the same direction. . . the possibilities are endless, they are only limited by our imagination.”

He stressed the sports is all about players and healthy living. Sport in Tonga is not about division, he said, but about unity and opening doors for youth to follow in the footsteps of success.

The king presented medals to the players who had not received them in the past.