Tonga Stun England 30-12 in Rugby League World Cup Opener in Perth

PERTH, Australia — Tonga produced the first seismic shock of the 2026 Men's Rugby League World Cup on Saturday, beating England 30-12 at HBF Park before a sellout crowd that included King Tupou VI — Tonga's first win over England, plunging the third-ranked side into a mathematical fight for survival.

Tonga led 10-0 at half-time and answered England's brief revival with two tries in three minutes. The four-tries-to-two win was built on Kristian Woolf's defensive masterclass — and settled a nine-year debt after England's two-point 2017 semi-final win.

The night HBF Park turned red

The tone was set early: Eckersley dropped a high ball and was pummelled by Watene-Zelezniak. The first try arrived in the 24th minute after England had twice come within metres of Tonga's line — Victor Radley knocked on following a crunching tackle from captain Jason Taumalolo, and from the turnover Katoa's inside pass carved open the English edge for Utoikamanu to stroll through untouched.

Katoa added two first-half penalties — for Harry Smith's obstruction on Watene-Zelezniak and Herbie Farnworth's trip off the ball. England went into the sheds 10-0 down, ruing fumbles, with Williams and debutant Savala denied close to the line.

England emerged with intent and AJ Brimson's 46th-minute try, finished after a 20-metre Dom Young burst, briefly threatened a contest. Then Tonga slammed the door: Olakau'atu pounced on his own grubber, Koula drove over, and although Young replied in the corner, Olakau'atu latched onto another Katoa grubber late to complete his double. Savala converted both English tries.

Katoa the difference in the halves

Williams, England's creative fulcrum, was outplayed by his future Dolphins teammate Katoa — 14 points from the boot plus the tries he created. The Tongan halfback's short kicking was devastating: both Olakau'atu tries came from grubbers that punished English defensive indecision.

Tonga's attack functioned with a clarity England never matched; Katoa's late grubber choices showed maturity every rival scout will have noted.

England's qualification picture is grim

Only two of the six teams across Pools B and C reach the semi-finals, and head-to-head is the first tiebreaker — making this defeat uniquely damaging: even beating France and Papua New Guinea, England go home if Tonga finish level on wins.

England's route to the last four now almost certainly runs through points difference against Samoa, who opened with a 78-4 demolition of France powered by four Sua Fa'alogo tries. England will likely need enormous wins over France and PNG — and need Tonga to beat Samoa at a sold-out CommBank Stadium on 1 November.

For Brian McDermott, it was a dismal first game since succeeding Shaun Wane in April. He had promised to unlock England's attacking shackles — England enjoyed plenty of first-half territory with Farnworth dangerous throughout — but errors and ill-discipline cost them dearly, a familiar pattern after last year's dull Ashes series.

"It was a really good contest, and when it wasn't a contest, that was probably more to do with us in the errors that we made," McDermott said. "They're a big team, strong team, and they've got some tremendous players in there."

History repeats for England — painfully

This is the second World Cup running that a Pacific island nation has left England shattered: Samoa in the 2022 home-soil semi-final; Tonga four years later in the first group game. The symmetry is brutal: the first ended a campaign that had promised everything; this one may end the current one before it begins.

Tonga, by contrast, sit in pole position with Lebanon and Samoa to come. Woolf's men justified their dark-horse billing: organised, ferocious and ice-cold at the decisive moments.

One sour note: five-eighth Latu Fainu left after 17 minutes with a pectoral strain, though early reports are optimistic it is not serious.

What comes next

England face France in Perth next Saturday — from formality to potential elimination bout. McDermott has a week to fix the errors, the discipline and the spine. Tonga carry this momentum into the Lebanon game, then the 1 November Samoa showdown that could decide which Pacific nation reaches the semi-finals (7-8 November), ahead of the 15 November final at Suncorp Stadium.

TL;DR

• Tonga beat England 30-12 at HBF Park, Perth, on 17 October 2026 — their first-ever win over England in the 2026 Men's Rugby League World Cup opener.
• Olakau'atu scored twice, Utoikamanu and Koula once each; Katoa produced the opening try and kicked 14 points.
• England's semi-final hopes are on life support: head-to-head is the first tiebreaker, so Tonga advance if the nations finish level on wins.
• McDermott's first game as England coach was a dismal night; Samoa's 78-4 win over France makes England's points-difference route brutal.

Key points

• Full-time: England 12 (tries Brimson, Young; goals Savala 2), Tonga 30 (tries Olakau'atu 2, Utoikamanu, Koula; goals Katoa 3; penalties Katoa 4) — half-time 10-0 Tonga.
• A sellout 18,302 crowd watched on, with King Tupou VI and the crown prince in attendance, per AAP.
• England were ranked No.3 in the world, Tonga No.5; Tonga's maiden victory avenges the two-point 2017 semi-final defeat.
• Only two of six teams across Pools B and C progress to the semi-finals; England still face France and PNG, Tonga face Lebanon and Samoa (1 November, CommBank Stadium).
• Katoa outplayed England's spine duo Williams and Smith, his grubber-kick game creating two tries.
• Latu Fainu departed after 17 minutes with a pectoral strain; early medical reports are optimistic it is not serious.
• Semi-finals on 7-8 November, then the final at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, on 15 November.

Sources: AP/NBC Sports, AAP via ESPN, NRL.com, All Out Rugby League live coverage.