LeagueNews.co | Jess Malloy
Sydney is set to host a highly anticipated matchup between Tonga and Samoa during next year's Rugby League World Cup. Tonga faces a challenging draw, highlighted by their encounter with their historic rivals, Samoa, at Parramatta.
The clash, taking place in round three on November 1 at CommBank Stadium, is expected to attract a full house. This surge in interest comes after 44,682 spectators attended a recent match where Samoa triumphed over Tonga with a score of 34-6 during this year's Pacific Cup.
The tournament will commence on October 15 at Allianz Stadium with the defending World Cup champions, Australia, facing off against Group A opponents and Pacific Cup titleholders, New Zealand.
The Kangaroos, who recently dominated England in a 3-0 Ashes series, will also meet Fiji and the Cook Islands in the subsequent weeks of the tournament.
In Group A, all four teams will compete against each other once in a series of round-robin matches before progressing to the semifinals, which culminate in the final at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 15.
The semifinals are scheduled to be held at Newcastle's McDonald Jones Stadium and Sydney's Allianz Stadium.
Meanwhile, Groups B and C each consist of three teams; however, these teams will play three games against opponents from the opposite group.