2021 RLWC draw - Tonga heads Group D [1]
Friday, January 17, 2020 - 20:27. Updated on Saturday, January 18, 2020 - 11:27.
Tonga will head Group D as a tier one nation at the 2021 Rugby League World Cup (RLWC) that takes place in England. The full draw of games was announced today 17 January at Buckingham Palace, in London,United Kingdom.
Mate Ma’a Tonga (Tonga Kau To’a) will take on Papua New Guinea, Wales and the Cook Islands. The groups were randomly drawn by HRH Prince Harry, British olympic rower Katherine Grainger and English rugby legend Jason Robinson.
The hardest pool is perhaps Group A of the tournament with England squaring off with Samoa, France and Greece.
Mate Ma’a Tonga (Tonga Kau To’a) have historically struggled with lower ranked teams such as in the 2017 RLWC where they narrowly beat Lebanon 24 – 22 and at the 2013 RLWC where they lost to Scotland 26 – 24.
The tournament also comprises the 2021 Women’s Rugby League World Cup and the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup. Tonga has not qualified for these competitions.
The tournament will kick off in England on 23 October 2021 with venues yet to be confirmed.