Eating lobster and wild boar, meeting with the King, making school visits and watching the local grand finals. And then the waiting – and waiting – for Jason Taumalolo to pose for photos and sign autographs.
Welcome to the Tonga rugby league team’s trip to the South Pacific.
The Tongans head into Sunday’s Pacific Championships showdown with Samoa refreshed and with a new appreciation of how much rugby league and success mean to the 100,000 people living on the only Pacific island never to have been conquered or colonised.
Some financial help from the NRL and private sponsors allowed coach Kristian Woolf and the players to enjoy five days they will never forget.
While Addin Fonua-Blake, Felise Kaufusi, newcomer Stefano Utoikamanu and halfback Isiaya Katoa were popular with the locals, the biggest reception came for Taumalolo, the man who, along with Andrew Fifita, defected to Tonga ahead of the 2017 World Cup, and breathed new life into the international game.
Woolf, the Dolphins head coach who has been coaching Tonga since 2014, was part of the last visit to the country in 2019, not long after they caused a boilover against Australia in the Oceania Cup. He said this year’s trip was the perfect way to kickstart their 2025 campaign.
Felise Kaufusi is given a hero’s reception back home in Tonga last Friday.Credit: @tongarugbyleagueofficial
The team flew out to Tonga last Tuesday, and were greeted by more than 1000 people at the airport. The 45-minute trip from the airport to the capital, Nuku’alofa, featured people lining the streets with signs, as well as the occasional stop to be given watermelon and coconuts.
The players trained at Teufaiva Sport Stadium on Wednesday morning, then, with the help of Tavake Fungapo, who works for the NRL in Tonga, travelled in small groups to villages, schools and hospitals that were all connected in some way to their families.
“Addin Fonua-Blake went to the school he attended, so did Eli Katoa. Leka Halasima went back to the village where he was born, and [assistant coach] David Tangata-Toa visited the village where his father grew up,” Woolf said.
“I went with Paul Alamoti to a school, and the principal was telling us how he went to school with Paul’s dad, and how they were even in the same class.
Jason TaumaloloCredit: @tongarugbyleagueofficial
“It was really touching for all the players to have that moment and connection with people or a certain place. It meant a lot.”
The Tongans spent Thursday visiting the Australian High Commission, trained Friday in front of 1000 locals, before they rushed to the Royal Palace for lunch with the King, Aho’eitu ʻUnuakiʻotonga Tukuʻaho.
“We were served fresh octopus, lobster, clams, wild boar, some traditional desserts – the food really was fit for a king,” Woolf said.
“There were a lot of protocols we needed to follow when meeting the King. He was very engaging, he spoke to a couple of players more than others, but he made it clear he appreciated what the players were doing for the country.”
Rob Toia soaks up the local culture in Tonga last week.Credit: @tongarugbyleagueofficial
The players were later paraded on the back of floats through the capital, including a truck covered with a giant photo of Woolf. The coach only wishes there was a different image used, “because I looked like the most miserable bloke in Tonga”.
John Hopoate, the former league representative player who travelled with the Tongan staff – and visited his family village of Fua’amotu with sons Will and Lehi – said it quickly became clear Taumalolo was the favourite.
“Everywhere Jase went, he was mobbed,” Hopoate said.
“When we finished on the floats on Friday, we had to wait about an hour for Jase because he was signing autographs and taking photos. It’s to do with his stature in the game and the fact he defected to Tonga when he was in his prime.
“He’s close to being the king of Tonga the way he is received when he walks around. I consider myself to be a future immortal over there, but Jase is the ‘king’.”
The Tongans rounded out their trip by attending the local grand finals, including the A-grade competition won by the Viane Doves.
As for Sunday, a crowd of 40,000 is expected for the clash at Suncorp Stadium against Samoa, who lost 24-18 to New Zealand on Sunday.
“What I like about our group is, judging by their body shapes, they’ve all looked after themselves,” Woolf said.
“It was also a positive having so many guys involved in the NRL finals, and we also had a lot of guys pick up awards at the Dally Ms. At least the boys know exactly who they are playing for, and what it means to Tonga.”
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