Pasifika supporters energise Rugby League World Cup in western Sydney as Tonga defeat Lebanon

Tongan and other Pasifika communities in western Sydney brought colour and congregation to the Rugby League World Cup on Friday when Tonga, Mate Ma’a Tonga, handily beat Lebanon’s Cedars in front of more than 25,000 fans at CommBank Stadium in Parramatta.

At Harold Wood Uniting Church in Auburn, members of the local Tongan congregation gathered for Viliame and Talita Latu’s first Sunday service as husband and wife while a flurry of national flags outside the 116-year-old church — revitalised in 1997 by the congregation — signalled broader World Cup passion in the neighbourhood. Viliame, who goes by Laka, said: "The game was on my wedding night! Made it hard for me to watch it," and Talita added, "In the video of our wedding reception, there are going to be so many people watching the game on their phones. There was someone on their iPad, too."

Parramatta Road has been transformed by visible support for competing nations, with Ford Raptors, delivery vans and garbage trucks displaying Tongan, Samoan, Fijian, Lebanese and New Zealand flags and team jerseys appearing at church services. The tournament opener saw Australia beat New Zealand 24-22 at a sold-out Allianz Stadium, and Fiji pushed Australia to a 36-22 result, while Tonga beat England for the first time in their initial World Cup match.

Local organisers and fans flagged ticket shortages as a significant issue, with a proposed move of the Tonga-Samoa match from CommBank to Accor Stadium at Olympic Park — which the NRL believed would have held 60,000 fans — blocked by pre-booked concerts. Aisea Taufa, one of the congregation’s lay preachers, said: "We tried to book [tickets for the Samoa game], but we were too late. It sold out two weeks ago."

Supporters unable to secure stadium seats have attended off-field fan events; Lebanese-heritage rugby league figures Hazem El Masri, Tim Mannah and Josh Mansour led thousands of Cedars fans on a march through the Parramatta CBD before the Tonga game, accompanied by drums and a contingent of Tongan fans joining the dabke. One of the top comments on the Cedars’ Instagram read, "Pauline Hanson is in cardiac arrest [right now]."

Lebanon remain without a win in the tournament ahead of their fixture with France on Sunday, but their fanbase has been vocally committed. Lock forward Jalal Bazzaz told Triple M after the Tonga game: "Our little nation, we’ve been through a lot. To get out there with the boys, the brotherhood, and give a little hope to our little nation, it means the world to us."

The Pasifika revival that has energised this tournament is linked in the community to Jason Taumalolo’s decision to represent Tonga rather than New Zealand at the 2017 tournament, an act the article describes as having "breathed life back into international rugby league." Laka said: "[Taumalolo] did that to inspire the younger generations who are coming through now. He showed that it’s not all about the money. It’s about representing your home country, the place where your family’s from." The atmosphere has included high-profile fan moments such as Samoa and Penrith Panthers winger Brian To’o ripping his shirt off and doing the splits onstage at a fan day in Mount Druitt.

With Tonga and Samoa both unbeaten, anticipation is high ahead of their meeting on Sunday, and some supporters believe Australia’s long-standing dominance of the international game could be under threat. Laka said: "Tonga can go all the way. Our defence against England was so solid. With halves like Isaiya Katoa, we can go all the way." Taufa vowed, "Here on Sunday, it’s gonna be red. This week, we’re the Church of MMT."