BY JOHN DAVIDSON
The RFL say they have been reassured that Great Britain will face a strong Tongan team in the Test match planned for Hamilton on October 26.
The much-anticipated Test had been put in doubt over a planned boycott by Tongan stars Jason Taumalolo and Andrew Fifita, following the shock sacking of coach Kristian Woolf.
However, today the RLIF announced that the Tongan National Rugby League (TNRL), which was in dispute with the players and Woolf, has been suspended from membership of the international governing body pending a full investigation.
The RLIF stated that it will work with the Tongan Sports Council to ensure that the Mate Ma’a’s upcoming matches, in the Nines World Cup, and Test matches against Great Britain and the Kangaroos, would go ahead.
The RFL has responded this evening with a statement: “The RFL have been concerned by the reports of issues around the Tonga team that surfaced recently, especially relating to the first match of the Great Britain Rugby League Lions tour this autumn.
“We registered that concern through the RLIF, who have kept us in touch with the developments that have led to today’s statement.
“We are reassured that Great Britain will return to the international stage in Hamilton on October 26 against a team maintaining Tonga’s on and off-field progress which has been such a positive feature of international Rugby League in recent years.”
The full RLIF media release is reproduced below:
“The Rugby League International Federation (RLIF) Board today notified the Tongan National Rugby League (TNRL) that it has been suspended from membership of the RLIF pending a full investigation into issues raised by various parties.
The unanimous decision was made after the Acting Tongan Prime Minister advised the RLIF that TNRL had lost the trust and support of its members, clubs and players.
The RLIF received expressions of concern about Tonga National Rugby League from other full members, the Rugby Football League and the Australian Rugby League Commission.
In addition, Australia’s Rugby League Players Association (RLPA) has also provided the RLIF with a list of Tonga’s highest profile players who have indicated they will not make themselves available to play for Tonga under the current administration.
The RLIF Board recognised that it needed to weigh the rights and entitlement of membership against its wider primary obligations to oster, develop, promulgate, govern and administer the game of rugby league throughout the world. Based upon the volume and magnitude of representations received the Board decided that it needed to intervene immediately.
The RLIF will work with the Tongan government and key stakeholders to create an interim arrangement.
RLIF Chairman, Graeme Thompson commented:
“The RLIF has received representations and concerns from the Office of the Prime Minister of Tonga, the Tongan Sports Council, the RFL, the ARLC, the RLPA on behalf of leading players and from concerned groups in the Kingdom of Tonga.
“In view of the considerable evidence that the interests of international rugby league were not being best served at this time. The RLIF Board voted unanimously that the TNRL’s membership be suspended with immediate effect while these matters are properly investigated. The RLIF, at the request of the Tongan government will work with the Tongan Sports Council to ensure that the forthcoming international calendar is not undermined.
“The RLIF stresses that the suspension of TNRL is not an expulsion and is intended to provide a period of stability, while the matters raised by the various stakeholders can be properly and fully investigated.
“We now call on all parties to cooperate fully with the process to ensure a swift resolution.”
The RLIF will provide a further update next week.”
