Tonga face Lebanon in World Cup after beating England
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The gist
Tonga play Lebanon at Sydney's CommBank Stadium after opening their World Cup with a 30-12 win over England.
A Tonga win would put them in strong position to reach the semi-finals.
Background
Tonga are the No.5-ranked national rugby league team, in Group C of the 2026 Men's Rugby League World Cup; Lebanon, known as The Cedars, are in Group B. The two groups share one combined standings table, and only the top two teams advance to the semi-finals. Tonga arrive after beating England 30-12 in Perth, their first-ever win over England, while Lebanon are their Round 2 opponents at CommBank Stadium in Sydney.
How it unfolded
- Oct 17, 2026Tonga beat England 30-12 in Perth in the World Cup opener, with Haumole Olakau'atu scoring two tries before 18,302 spectators.
- Oct 20, 2026Tonga name Tui Lolohea at five-eighth and Latu Fainu on the interchange despite a pec injury; Lebanon promote Moustafa Dirani to starting hooker.
- Oct 22, 2026Tonga and Lebanon reduce their squads to 20 ahead of the match at CommBank Stadium.
- Oct 23, 2026Tonga v Lebanon, Round 2, kicks off 8.05pm AEDT at CommBank Stadium, Sydney.
Who’s saying what
- Analysts
- TechRadar says Tonga head to CommBank Stadium full of confidence and a win over Lebanon would put them in a strong position to qualify in the top two of the combined table.
- Caution
- karlobag.eu notes qualification is not yet mathematically guaranteed for Tonga, with matches against Lebanon and Samoa still to come.