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Tonga stuns England in Rugby League World Cup
PERTH, AUSTRALIA - OCTOBER 17: Maxwell King of England in action during the 2026 Men’s Rugby League World Cup match between England and Tonga at HBF Stadium on October 17, 2026 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

PERTH, Australia (AP) — Tonga pulled off a stunner at the Rugby League World Cup on Saturday by beating England 30-12.

It was another shock result against a Pacific island nation for the English, who were beaten by Samoa in the semifinals on home soil in 2022.

It was the first of third-ranked England’s three group-stage games and immediately jeopardizes its progress to the semifinals, with games still to come against France and Papua New Guinea.

Tonga, which had never previously beaten England, is ranked No. 5 in the world and has other group games against Lebanon and Samoa.

Only two of those six teams advance to the last four.

The semifinals of the month-long World Cup are scheduled for Nov. 7 and 8, with the final at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium on Nov. 15.

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