By Tupou Vaipulu

The Queensland Reds defeated Tonga’s Women’s team, the Lofa (65-0) at Teufaiva Stadium on Friday 26 July 2024 .

The Reds were unstoppable, securing three tries on the first half. A 5-0 start became 10-0 midway through the first half, then full-back Lori Cramer fed Wong for another try.

The Reds locked in eight more tries in the second half, three of which were scored by co-captain Carola Kreis. Debutant Tess Littleton also snuck in a try towards the end of the match.

This was a historic game for both women's teams, as it was the Lofa’s first ever home game and the Queensland Red’s first match outside of Australia.

"Being able to connect with the Tongan culture and represent Queensland for the first time…it’s an amazing experience,” said Tess Littleton.

The tour of Tonga was made possible for the women’s and men’s teams thanks to Australia’s PacificAus Sports program.

PacificAus Sports is an Australian Government sports diplomacy initiative developing pathways for Pacific teams and athletes to compete in elite competitions and access high-performance coaching in Australia and internationally.