Sports

Jason Taumalolo Likely Plays Final World Cup Game as Tonga Lose to New Zealand

By Sam Goodwin

Tributes poured in across the rugby league world after Tongan trailblazer Jason Taumalolo likely played the last game of his World Cup career on Saturday night. Tonga’s tournament ended with a 34‑10 loss to New Zealand, sending the Kiwis into next weekend’s final. Taumalolo, who will be 37 by the next World Cup, is expected to finish his international career after this match. The North Queensland Cowboys enforcer is set to finish his contract at the end of 2027, and his future in the NRL remains uncertain.

On Saturday, Taumalolo played 48 minutes, running for 116 metres and making 31 tackles. The 33‑year‑old, born in Auckland, had previously represented New Zealand in 10 Tests before switching allegiance to Tonga in 2017, earning 24 caps for the island nation. His decision to change national teams helped inspire other players of Tongan and Samoan heritage to follow suit.

Taumalolo said after the loss, "I think with the core group of players that we have right now they can really make their mark in the international scene. They’re only going to get better too, so if they got a lot of international games they can connect and this campaign, for most of them, was probably the first time they’ve played alongside each other. They’re only going to get better from here…We’ve got players that could have easily played for New Zealand or Australia, and they opted to play for our little nation in Tonga and make our people proud." The use of "they" rather than "we" was noted as a hint that his World Cup career might be over.

Social media tributes followed, with commentators praising Taumalolo’s impact on the international game and his role in inspiring future generations of Tongan players. The sentiment was that, even without a World Cup trophy, his legacy remains unmatched.