Tonga News
Super Rugby Pacific
Ethan Blackadder to captain Crusaders against Highlanders in Timaru
Eight assistant coaches the All Blacks should consider in 2026
World Rugby appoint ex-New Zealand CEO Mark Robinson to key new role
Vern Cotter addresses All Blacks aspirations with Reds contract signed
Latest
Nations Championship to be shown exclusively on free-to-air TV
Ex-All Black George Bridge starts as Force unleash new signings in trial
'Stages for history': Rugby World Cup 2027 venues revealed
20-year-old halfback commits to Queensland Reds through 2027
Nine Wallabies selected in first Queensland Reds team of 2026
Jamie Dobie: Scotland's answer to hybrid Bok Grant Williams
World Ranking
Tonga are currently 18th in the World Rugby Rankings. Their highest ever ranking was 9th in June 2012.
Ranking Over Time
Date {{date}}
Rank # {{rank}}
Points {{points}}
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Tonga Matches
Sun 23 Nov, 2025
Internationals
![Scotland]()
Scotland
![Tonga]()
Tonga
Scottish Gas Murrayfield
Tonga Tournaments
![International]()
International
![Rugby World Cup]()
Rugby World Cup
![Pacific Nations Cup]()
Pacific Nations Cup
Tonga Rugby Team
Rugby union was first introduced to Tonga by sailors and missionaries in the 1920s, with the official establishment of the international side in 1923. The Tonga Rugby team then played their first game in 1924 in a test match against Fiji, beating them 9-6. In the decades following this, Tonga's international games were mainly against nearby Pacific nations and it was only in the late 60s and early 70s they travelled to Australasia and Europe.
These tours were often quite intense and the Tonga Rugby team developed a reputation for being quite an aggressive side. However, this wasn't to the detriment of their rugby prowess, as the side was invited to compete in the first Rugby World Cup in 1987, where they finished at the pool stage.
To date, Tonga has yet to place higher at a Rugby World Cup tournament, but they have featured in all competitions except the 1991 tournament. This has seen some memorable performances from the side, such as the surprising 19-13 win over France in 2011.
The Tonga Rugby team has seen its fair share of quality players in the past. Popular flanker Nili Latu - who was once Tonga's most-capped player - being one example. There's also record try scorer Sonatane Takulua and all-time leading point scorer and fly-half Kurt Morath.
Much like other Pacific nations, the Tonga Rugby team typically perform a war dance before each game, this is called the Sipi Tau.
Scotland 
