2024 Samoa rugby league tour of England
| 2024 Samoa rugby league tour of England | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | 27 October – 2 November 2024 | ||||
| Coach(es) | Ben Gardiner | ||||
| Top point scorer(s) | Junior Pauga (15) | ||||
| Top try scorer(s) | Deine Mariner (2) (3 each) | ||||
| Summary |
| ||||
| Total |
| ||||
| Opponent |
| ||||
 England |
| ||||
The 2024 Samoa rugby league tour of England was a two-match tour by the Samoa national rugby league team to England in October and November 2024.[1][2]
Background
[edit]Organisation
[edit]The 2024 Samoa tour of England was being discussed between the two nations following the conclusion of the 2021 Rugby League World Cup in addition to the previous year's Tonga tour of England. The tour was all but confirmed on 3 August 2023, when International Rugby League announced their long-awaited international calendar following the cancellation of the 2025 Rugby League World Cup.[3][4] This initially did not happen with Samoa eventually declining their tour invitation on 9 November, in order to play in the returning Rugby League Pacific Championship (a competition which began in 2019 but never had a second edition due to the COVID-19 pandemic) for the 2024 edition.[5][6][7]
On 27 November, Samoa re-engaged talks about the potential test series,[8][9] and on 13 June 2024 the tour was confirmed, but with only a two-match test series (one short of a traditional tour),[1][2] with the hope that the reduced schedule would allow Samoa to compete in the 2024 Rugby League Pacific Championships as well.[10][11]
In December 2024, International Rugby League Chairman Troy Grant revealed that the tour when ahead as a result of the Australian Rugby League Commission provided support to Samoa, with the Rugby League Samoa having reservations on the financial feasibility of the tour.[12]
Teams
[edit]| Official rankings ahead of the tour[13][14] | |||
| Rank | Change | Team | Pts % |
| 3 |  1 |
England |
74.00 |
| 4 |  1 |
 Samoa |
70.00 |
The tour was Samoa's first tour to a European Rugby League nation, and only the second of a Pacific Island Nation, after Tonga's 2023 tour.[15]
The games were the sixth and seventh meetings of the two sides with England winning all previous encounters except for the most recent – the 2021 World Cup semi-final.
Upon the initial planning of the tour, Samoa were above England in the World Rankings (still 3rd and 4th), but a successful 2023 test series against Tonga for England and an unsuccessful 2023 Pacific Championships for Samoa flipped these rankings.
During the tour, Samoa were based at York Knights's York Community Stadium.[16]
Venues
[edit]| Wigan | Leeds |
|---|---|
| Brick Community Stadium | Headingley |
| Capacity: 25,138 | Capacity: 21,500 |
|
|
Squads
[edit]England
[edit]A 31 man England train-on squad was announced on 6 September 2024.[17] The final squad was announced on 16 October 2024.[18][19]
Samoa
[edit]The Samoa squad was announced on 9 October 2024.[20]
Matches
[edit]First test
[edit]The first test had an average television audience of 513,000, peaking at 682,000, equating to 7.2% of the audience share.[21]
| England
|
34–18 | Samoa
|
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Farnworth 7', Ashton 15', 58', Williams 20', Radley 49', Lewis 71' Goals: Smith (5/6) 8', 21', 50', 59', 72' |
1st: 16–6 2nd: 18–12 Report (BBC) |
Tries: Mariner 33', 53' Chan Kum Tong 75' Goals: Pauga (3/3) 34', 54', 76' |
Brick Community Stadium, Wigan
Attendance: 15,137 Referee: Liam Moore (England) Touch judges: Marcus Griffiths (England), Cameron Worsley (England) Video referee: Jack Smith (England) Player of the Match: George Williams (England) |
| England | Position | Samoa | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Number | Number | Name | |
| Jack Welsby | 1 | 1 | Roger Tuivasa-Sheck | |
| Dom Young | 2 | 2 | Jeral Skelton | |
| Harry Newman | 3 | 3 | Izack Tago | |
| Herbie Farnworth | 4 | 4 | Junior Pauga | |
| Matty Ashton | 5 | 5 | Deine Mariner | |
| George Williams | 6 | 6 | Anthony Milford | |
| Harry Smith | 7 | 7 | Jarome Luai | |
| Ethan Havard | 8 | 8 | Francis Molo | |
| Daryl Clark | 9 | 9 | Jazz Tevaga | |
| Matty Lees | 10 | 10 | Terrell May | |
| Kai Pearce-Paul | 11 | 11 | Shawn Blore | |
| John Bateman | 12 | 12 | Jeremiah Nanai | |
| Victor Radley | 13 | 13 | John Asiata | |
| Mikey Lewis | 14 | 14 | Blaize Talagi | |
| Mike McMeeken | 15 | 15 | Luciano Leilua | |
| Morgan Knowles | 16 | 16 | Gordon Chan Kum Tong | |
| Tom Burgess | 17 | 17 | Lazarus Vaalepu | |
| Ben Currie | 18 | 18 | Keenan Palasia | |
| Shaun Wane | Coach |
Ben Gardiner | ||
Second test
[edit]The second test match of the series was played at Headingley Stadium as a double header with an England vs Wales women's international test match being played beforehand.[22]
| England
|
34–16 | Samoa
|
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Marshall 17' Williams 28' Ashton 31' Farnworth 37', 54' Welsby 67' Goals: Smith (5/7) 5' (pen), 18', 40', 56', 68' |
1st: 22–6 2nd: 12–10 Report (BBC) |
Tries: Blore 8' J. Tago 44' Nanai 73' Goals: Pauga (2/3) 9', 46' |
Headingley, Leeds
Attendance: 16,068 Referee: Chris Kendall (England) Touch judges: Warren Turley (England), Mark Craven (England) Video referee: Ben Thaler (England) Player of the Match: Herbie Farnworth (England) |
| England | Position | Samoa | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Number | Number | Name | |
Jack Welsby  67' |
1 | 1 | Roger Tuivasa-Sheck | |
| Matty Ashton 31' |
2 | 2 | Jeral Skelton | |
| Harry Newman | 3 | 23 | Jake Tago 44'
| |
| Herbie Farnworth 37', 54' |
4 | 4 | Junior Pauga  9', 46'  25' to 35'
| |
| Liam Marshall 17' |
5 | 5 | Deine Mariner | |
| George Williams 28' |
6 | 6 | Blaize Talagi | |
| Harry Smith 5' (pen)', 18', 40', 56', 68' |
7 | 7 | Jarome Luai | |
Ethan Havard  18',  75' |
8 | 8 | Francis Molo 27', 68'
| |
| Daryl Clark 59' |
9 | 9 | Jazz Tevaga 27'
| |
| Matty Lees 32', 52' |
10 | 10 | Terrell May | |
| John Bateman | 11 | 11 | Shawn Blore 8'
| |
| Junior Nsemba 65' |
12 | 12 | Jeremiah Nanai 73'
| |
| Victor Radley 23', 61' |
13 | 13 | Luciano Leilua 51', 68'
| |
| Mikey Lewis 59' |
14 | 14 | Simi Sasagi | |
| Morgan Knowles 23', 75' |
15 | 15 | Keenan Palasia 27'
| |
| Mike McMeeken 32', 52', 65' |
16 | 16 | Gordon Chan Kum Tong 27'
| |
| Luke Thompson 18' |
17 | 17 | Lazarus Vaalepu 51'
| |
| Ben Currie | 18 | 18 | Anthony Milford | |
| Shaun Wane | Coach |
Ben Gardiner | ||
Broadcasting
[edit]Both matches of the tour were broadcast locally live on BBC Sport in the UK.[23] For countries outside the UK and Ireland, the games were streamed on Super League+, with select countries also televising the event.[24]
| Region | Broadcaster |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | BBC Two |
| Australia | Fox Sports |
| New Zealand | Sky Sport |
| Pacific Islands | Digicel |
| United States and Caribbean | Fox Sports |
| Elsewhere | SuperLeague+ |
References
[edit]- ^ a b "England to play Samoa in autumn Test Series". www.rugby-league.com. RFL. 13 June 2024.
- ^ a b "England's men to host Samoa in two-Test series in October and November". BBC Sport. June 13, 2024.
- ^ "Southern hemisphere to host 2026 World Cup". BBC Sport. August 3, 2023.
- ^ "Rugby League World Cup: Southern hemisphere to host tournament in 2026 after France withdrawal". Sky Sports. 3 August 2023.
- ^ "RFL exploring all options for 2024 as Samoa turn down England tour invite". www.rugby-league.com.
- ^ "Samoa reject England invitation for 2024 test series; Shaun Wane's side 'exploring all options' ahead of Australia tour in 2025". Love Rugby League. November 9, 2023.
- ^ Pattison, Cam (November 9, 2023). "Samoa turn down Test Series against England". Serious About Rugby League.
- ^ "Rugby league: Samoa to re-engage with England over 2024 tour after International Rugby League steps in". Sky Sports.
- ^ "Samoa and England talks re-open over proposed 2024 tour following IRL board meeting". Love Rugby League. November 27, 2023.
- ^ "Venues revealed for England-Samoa rugby league Test series". Love Rugby League. June 13, 2024.
- ^ McHugh, Robert (June 13, 2024). "Revealed: England set to confirm end-of-season opponents for historic Test Series".
- ^ O'Hare, Michael (2 December 2024). "IRL chair Troy Grant on shrinking World Cup, northern hemisphere issues and growing international game". Total Rugby League. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
- ^ "INTRL - World Rankings". Rugby League International Federation.
- ^ "International Rugby League World Rankings: December 2023". Rugby League International Federation. 21 December 2023.
- ^ "England to host Tonga in three-game Test series". National Rugby League. April 28, 2023.
- ^ "Island nation to be based in York for historic England test series". York Press. October 11, 2024.
- ^ "England squad: Junior Nsemba and Liam Marshall called up for Samoa series". BBC Sport. 6 September 2024. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
- ^ "England squad: Junior Nsemba and Liam Marshall make cut for Samoa series". BBC Sport. October 16, 2024.
- ^ "England Rugby League: Uncapped Wigan Warriors duo Junior Nsemba, Liam Marshall included in Samoa Test series squad". Sky Sports.
- ^ "Super League trio in Samoa squad for England series with Jarome Luai named captain". Love Rugby League. 9 October 2024. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
- ^ "England's first Test against Samoa draws huge viewing figures with full numbers revealed". Love Rugby League. 28 October 2024. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
- ^ "England confirm Wheelchair and Women's International Games". europeanrugbyleague.com. European Rugby League. 2 August 2024.
- ^ "England's men to host Samoa in two-Test series in October and November". BBC Sport. 13 June 2024.
- ^ "How to watch the ABK Beer Test Series on Sunday". www.rugby-league.com. RFL. 25 October 2024. Retrieved 25 October 2024.