How to Watch Tonga vs Lebanon in Rugby League World Cup 2026

Tonga moved closer to a place in the Rugby League World Cup knockout stages after their match against Lebanon on Friday, October 23, 2026. The match kicked off at 10.05 am BST / 8.05 pm AEDT / 10.05 pm NZDT / 5.05 am EDT / 2.05 am PDT.

Fans in Australia accessed the game for free on 7 Plus, while viewers in the UK and Ireland tuned in through Premier Sports, which held rights for every match of the tournament. Fans needed to subscribe to Premier Sports for access, with several pricing plans available. In New Zealand, Sky Sport provided the live stream, while fans in the United States also accessed the match via Premier Sports.

Tonga began their World Cup journey on a positive note, securing a 30-12 victory against England in Perth, which put a significant dent in England's hopes. However, they faced Lebanon without half-back Isaiya Katoa, who was ruled out due to injury. Captain Jason Taumalolo shifted to lock, with Tyson Frizell rested in preparation for their crucial fixture against Samoa the following weekend.

Lebanon sought their first win in the tournament after suffering a 42-18 loss against Papua New Guinea on the previous weekend. Coach Michael Cheika made a change in the starting lineup, promoting Moustafa Dirani to the hooker position for the game against Tonga, aware that a loss would end their campaign at the CommBank Stadium in Sydney.

Australian fans noted that they could still watch the match overseas using a VPN service to bypass geo-restrictions on the 7 Plus streaming service. Premier Sports catered to audiences worldwide, having the rights to broadcast in over 120 countries.

Team Line-ups

Tonga
1. Lehi Hopoate
2. Sione Katoa
3. Tolutau Koula
4. Paul Alamoti
5. Jojo Fifita
6. Tuimoala Lolohea
7. TBA
8. Addin Fonua-Blake
9. Salesi Foketi
10. Stefano Utoikamanu
11. Haumole Olakau’atu
12. Kulikefu Finefeuiaki
13. Jason Taumalolo (captain)
Interchange: 14. Soni Luke
15. Taniela Paseka
16. Demitric Vaimauga
17. Leka Halasima
18. Latu Fainu
19. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak

Lebanon
1. Jacob Kiraz
2. Tony Francis
3. Michael Gabrael
4. Jordan Samrani
5. Jason Saab
6. Khaled Rajab
7. Alex Conti
8. Jaxson Rahme
9. Moustafa Dirani
10. James Roumanos
11. Tony Sukkar
12. Mikael Ibrahim
13. Alex Twal (captain)
Interchange: 14. Yehya Ayache
15. Mikael Ibrahim
16. Jalal Bazzaz
17. Khalil Rahme
18. Joseph Nohra
19. Abbas Miski

Officials
Referee: Liam Moore
Touch judges: Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski, Jarrod Cole
Senior review official: Grant Atkins.