Tonga at the Rugby World Cup

The Tonga national rugby union team has played in all Rugby World Cup tournaments, except in 1991, when they did not qualify. Their best performances were in the 2007 and 2011 tournaments, when they won two matches. Their best single match win was an upset victory in 2011 over eventual finalists France.

Nation	Number of appearances	First appearance	Most recent appearance	Streak	Best result
Tonga	8	1987	2019	7	Two wins, 2007, 2011

Map of nations best results, excluding nations which unsuccessfully participated in qualifying tournaments.

By position

• 1987 Rugby World Cup Eliminated in pool stages.
• 1991 Rugby World Cup Did not qualify.
• 1995 Rugby World Cup Eliminated in pool stages.
• 1999 Rugby World Cup Eliminated in pool stages.
• 2003 Rugby World Cup Eliminated in pool stages.
• 2007 Rugby World Cup Eliminated in pool stages.
• 2011 Rugby World Cup Eliminated in pool stages.
• 2015 Rugby World Cup Eliminated in pool stages.
• 2019 Rugby World Cup Eliminated in pool stages.

By match

1987 Rugby World Cup

Pool 2 games -

Team	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	Tries	Pts
Wales	3	3	0	0	82	31	13	6
Ireland	3	2	0	1	84	41	11	4
Canada	3	1	0	2	65	90	7	2
Tonga	3	0	0	3	29	98	3	0

4 May 1987

Canada	37 – 4	Tonga
Tries: Palmer (2) Vaesen (2) Stuart Frame Penalty try Con: Wyatt (2) Gareth Rees Pen: Rees		Try: Valu

McLean Park, Napier Referee: Clive Norling

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29 May 1987

Tonga	16 – 29	Wales
Tries: Fielea Fifita Con: Liavaʻa Pen: Liavaʻa Amone		Tries: Webbe (3) Hadley Con: Thorburn (2) Pen: Thorburn (2) Drop: Davies

Showgrounds Oval, Palmerston North Referee: Dave Bishop

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3 June 1987

Ireland	32 – 9	Tonga
Tries: Mullin (3) MacNeill (2) Con: Ward (3) Pen: Ward (2)		Pen: Amone (3)

Ballymore, Brisbane Referee: Guy Maurette

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1995 Rugby World Cup

Pool D games -

Team	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	Pts
France	3	3	0	0	114	47	9
Scotland	3	2	0	1	149	27	7
Tonga	3	1	0	2	44	90	5
Ivory Coast	3	0	0	3	29	172	3

26 May 1995

France	38 – 10	Tonga
Tries: Thierry Lacroix (2), Aubin Hueber, Philippe Saint-André Con: Thierry Lacroix (3) Pen: Thierry Lacroix (3) Drop: Yann Delaigue		Tries: Tevita Vaʻenuku Con: Sateki Tu'ipulotu Pen: Sateki Tu'ipulotu

Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria Attendance: 25 000 Referee: Steve Lander

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30 May 1995

Scotland	41 – 5	Tonga
Tries: Scott Hastings, Eric Peters, Gavin Hastings Con: Gavin Hastings Pen: Gavin Hastings (8)		Tries: Ipolito Fenukitau

Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria Attendance: 21 000 Referee: Barry Leask

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3 June 1995

Ivory Coast	11 – 29	Tonga
Tries: Alfred Okou Pen: Athanase Dali (2)		Tries: Mana Otai, Sateki Tu'ipulotu, Pouvalu Latukefu Con: Sateki Tu'ipulotu (3) Pen: Sateki Tu'ipulotu

Olympia Park, Rustenburg Attendance: 16 000 Referee: Don Reordan

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1999 Rugby World Cup

Pool B games -

Team	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	Pts
New Zealand	3	3	0	0	176	28	9
England	3	2	0	1	184	47	7
Tonga	3	1	0	2	47	171	5
Italy	3	0	0	3	35	196	3

3 October 1999

New Zealand	45 – 9	Tonga
Tries: Jonah Lomu (2), Byron Kelleher, Norm Maxwell, Josh Kronfeld Con: Andrew Mehrtens (4) Pen: Andrew Mehrtens (4)		Pen: Siua Taumalolo (3)

Ashton Gate, Bristol Attendance: 21,000 Referee: Derek Bevan

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10 October 1999

Italy	25 – 28	Tonga
Tries: Alessandro Moscardi Con: Diego Dominguez Pen: Diego Dominguez (6)		Tries: Taunaholo Taufahema, 'Isileli Fatani, Sateki Tuipulotu Con: Sateki Tuipulotu (2) Pen: Sateki Tuipulotu (2) Drop: Sateki Tuipulotu

Welford Road, Leicester Referee: David McHugh

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15 October 1999

England	101 – 10	Tonga
Tries: Jeremy Guscott (2), Phil Greening (2), Dan Luger (2), Austin Healey (2), Will Greenwood (2), Matt Dawson, Matt Perry, Richard Hill Con: Paul Grayson (12) Pen: Paul Grayson (4)		Tries: Dave Tiueti Con: Sateki Tuipulotu Pen: Sateki Tuipulotu

Twickenham, London Attendance: 72,485 Referee: Wayne Erickson

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2003 Rugby World Cup

Group D games-

Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	BP	Pts
New Zealand	4	4	0	0	282	57	4	20
Wales	4	3	0	1	132	98	2	14
Italy	4	2	0	2	77	123	0	8
Canada	4	1	0	3	54	135	1	5
Tonga	4	0	0	4	46	178	1	1

2003-10-15

Italy	36 – 12	Tonga
Tries: M. Dallan, D. Dallan (2) Con: Wakarua (3) Pen: Wakarua (5)		Tries: Payne, Tu'ifua Con: Tu'ipulotu

Canberra Stadium Attendance: 18,967 Referee: Steve Walsh

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2003-10-19

Wales	27 – 20	Tonga
Tries: Cooper, M. Williams Con: S. Jones Pen: S. Jones (4) Drop: M. Williams		Tries: Hola, Kivalu, Lavaka Con: Hola Pen: Hola

Canberra Stadium Attendance: 19,806 Referee: Paul Honiss

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2003-10-24

New Zealand	91 – 7	Tonga
Tries: Braid, Carter, Flynn, Ralph (2), Spencer, Meeuws, Penalty try, Muliaina (2), MacDonald, Howlett (2) Con: MacDonald (12), Spencer		Tries: Hola Con: Tu'ipulotu

Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane Attendance: 47,588 Referee: Pablo De Luca

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2003-10-29

Canada	24 – 7	Tonga
Tries: Fauth, Abrams Con: Pritchard Pen: Ross (4)		Tries: Kivalu Con: Hola

WIN Stadium, Wollongong Attendance: 15,630 Referee: Alain Rolland

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2007 Rugby World Cup

Pool A matches -

Team	Pld	W	D	L	TF	PF	PA	+/−	BP	Pts
South Africa	4	4	0	0	24	189	47	+142	3	19
England	4	3	0	1	11	108	88	+20	2	14
Tonga	4	2	0	2	9	89	96	−7	1	9
Samoa	4	1	0	3	5	69	143	−74	1	5
United States	4	0	0	4	7	61	142	−81	1	1

12 September 2007 14:00

United States	15–25	Tonga
Tries: MacDonald 47' m Stanfill 67' c Con: Hercus (1/2) Pen: Hercus (1/2) 33'	Report	Tries: Maka 2' c Vaka 59' m Vaki 70' c Con: Hola (2/3) Pen: Hola (2/2) 7', 26'

Stade de la Mosson, Montpellier Attendance: 25,000 Referee: Stuart Dickinson (Australia)

16 September 2007 16:00

Samoa	15–19	Tonga
Pen: Williams (5/6) 6', 21', 23', 29', 69'	Report	Try: Taione 60' c Con: Hola (1/1) Pen: Hola (4/5) 3', 38', 47', 67'

Stade de la Mosson, Montpellier Attendance: 24,128 Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa)

22 September 2007 14:00

South Africa	30–25	Tonga
Tries: Pienaar (2) 18' c, 65' m Smith 59' c Skinstad 62' m Con: Pretorius (1/1) Montgomery (1/3) Pen: Steyn (1/1) 54' Montgomery (1/1) 76'	Report	Tries: Pulu 44' c Hufanga 70' m Vaki 72' c Con: Hola (2/3) Pen: Hola (2/3) 9', 78'

Stade Félix Bollaert, Lens Attendance: 40,069 Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)

28 September 2007 21:00

England	36–20	Tonga
Tries: Sackey (2) 20' m, 38' m Tait 57' c Farrell 66' c Con: Wilkinson (2/4) Pen: Wilkinson (2/3) 14', 36' Drop: Wilkinson (2/2) 32', 72'	Report	Tries: Hufanga 17' c Pole 80' c Con: Hola (2/2) Pen: Hola (2/2) 11', 55'

Parc des Princes, Paris Attendance: 45,085 Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland)

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2011 Rugby World Cup

Tonga played in Pool A. After losing to New Zealand and Canada, they beat Japan and then had an upset victory over eventual finalists France, their greatest World Cup match result to date.

Team	Pld	W	D	L	TF	PF	PA	+/−	BP	Pts
New Zealand	4	4	0	0	36	240	49	+191	4	20
France	4	2	0	2	13	124	96	+28	3	11
Tonga	4	2	0	2	7	80	98	−18	1	9
Canada	4	1	1	2	9	82	168	−86	0	6
Japan	4	0	1	3	8	69	184	−115	0	2

9 September 2011	New Zealand	41–10	Tonga	Eden Park, Auckland
14 September 2011	Tonga	20–25	Canada	Northland Events Centre, Whangarei
21 September 2011	Tonga	31–18	Japan	Northland Events Centre, Whangarei
1 October 2011	France	14–19	Tonga	Regional Stadium, Wellington

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2015 Rugby World Cup

Pool C

Team	Pld	W	D	L	TF	PF	PA	+/−	BP	Pts
New Zealand	4	4	0	0	25	174	49	+125	3	19
Argentina	4	3	0	1	22	179	70	+109	3	15
Georgia	4	2	0	2	5	53	123	–70	0	8
Tonga	4	1	0	3	8	70	130	–60	2	6
Namibia	4	0	0	4	8	70	174	–104	1	1

19 September 2015	Tonga	10–17	Georgia	Kingsholm, Gloucester
29 September 2015	Tonga	35–21	Namibia	Sandy Park, Exeter
4 October 2015	Argentina	45–16	Tonga	Leicester City Stadium, Leicester
9 October 2015	New Zealand	47–9	Tonga	St. James' Park, Newcastle

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2019 Rugby World Cup

Pool C

Team	Pld	W	D	L	TF	PF	PA	+/−	BP	Pts
England	4	3	1	0	17	119	20	+99	3	17
France	4	3	1	0	9	79	51	+28	1	15
Argentina	4	2	0	2	14	106	91	+15	3	11
Tonga	4	1	0	3	9	67	105	−38	2	6
United States	4	0	0	4	7	52	156	−104	0	0

22 September 2019 19:15 JST (UTC+09)

(1 BP) England	35–3	Tonga
Try: Tuilagi (2) 24' m, 31' c George 57' c Cowan-Dickie 77' c Con: Farrell (3/4) 33', 58', 78' Pen: Farrell (3/3) 11', 37', 43'	Report	Pen: Takulua (1/1) 15'

Sapporo Dome, Sapporo Attendance: 35,923 Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand)

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28 September 2019 13:45 JST (UTC+09)

(1 BP) Argentina	28–12	Tonga
Try: Montoya (3) 7' c, 17' c, 26' c Carreras 20' c Con: Urdapilleta (4/4) 9', 19', 21', 28'	Report	Try: Veainu (2) 30' c, 66' m Con: Takulua (1/2) 32'

Hanazono Rugby Stadium, Higashiōsaka Attendance: 21,971 Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)

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6 October 2019 16:45 JST (UTC+09)

France	23–21	Tonga (1 BP)
Try: Vakatawa 6' c Raka 32' c Con: Ntamack (2/2) 7', 34' Pen: Ntamack (3/4) 4', 52', 60'	Report	Try: Takulua 40' c Hingano 47' c Kapeli 79' c Con: Takulua (2/2) 40'+1, 49' Fosita (1/1) 80'

Kumamoto Stadium, Kumamoto Attendance: 28,477 Referee: Nic Berry (Australia)

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13 October 2019 14:45 JST (UTC+09)

United States	19–31	Tonga (1 BP)
Try: Te'o (2) 21' c, 26' m Lamborn 77' c Con: MacGinty (2/3) 22', 78'	Report	Try: Fisiihoi 17' c Hingano 58' c Piutau 62' c Veainu 80'+1 c Con: Takulua (2/2) 19', 60' Faiva (1/1) 64' Piutau (1/1) 80+2' Pen: Takulua (1/1) 51'

Hanazono Rugby Stadium, Higashiōsaka Attendance: 22,012 Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)

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Hosting

So far Tonga has not hosted any World Cup games, and has not put in bids for future tournaments. Due to the lack of facilities, and the small size of the island nation, it is unlikely it will do so in the future.

References

• Davies, Gerald (2004) The History of the Rugby World Cup (Sanctuary Publishing Ltd, (ISBN 1860746020)
• Farr-Jones, Nick, (2003). Story of the Rugby World Cup, Australian Post Corporation, (ISBN 0-642-36811-2)