The Tonga men’s national rugby league team will go by Tonga Rugby League 13, or ‘Tonga 13’ for short, at the 2026 Rugby League World Cup (RLWC).
The team will not be able to use its fan favourite and globally recognised nickname ‘Mate Ma’a Tonga’ (which translates as ‘Die for Tonga’), Tonga 13 chairman Lord Fatafehi Fakafanua, who is also the country’s prime minister, told RNZ Pacific on Wednesday.
Lord Fakafanua said this is because the Mate Ma’a Tonga (MMT) name is registered under the Tonga National Rugby League (TNRL).
The TNRL was the managing organisation for rugby league in Tonga until they were suspended by the International Rugby League (IRL) in 2020, after a long-running battle over governance, money and a threatened player boycott.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld the IRL’s decision and the new Tonga Rugby League 13, led by Lord Fakafanua, was officially recognised in 2024 as the new managing federation for the sport in the kingdom.
Tongan PM Lord Fakafanua
RNZ / Giles Dexter
Lord Fakafanua confirmed that because MMT is registered under the TNRL, the national team must use ‘Tonga 13’ going forward.
“TNRL is George Koloamatangi, William Edwards and Melino Maka,” he said.
“They have registered MMT in New Zealand so the national team has no rights over that name.”
He said it means that the Tonga national men’s team has to use the new name, which is the registered name of the national federation.
Responding to claims that the TNRL had offered for the Tonga Rugby League 13 to use the MMT name, Lord Fakafanua said the offer came with conditions.
He said government, the league body and the players were not going to pay royalty for the use of the name.
“The bigger question is why should the government, the players or the legal national federation need to pay royalties or fund to TNRL for a national treasure that was bestowed to the national team by the King?
“They are holding onto the name MMT on a technicality and wish to hold the legal national entity and country ransom then turn around and blame TRL13.
“They wished to ‘negotiate’. What standing do they have as an IRL expelled entity? They lost the chance to be the national federation after betraying the boys and burning bridges with everyone.”
He added, however, that “we can always use another name, like how Australia uses Kangaroos or New Zealand the Kiwis”.
“It is just too bad our beloved MMT name is beyond our control right now.”
Tonga rugby league fans have taken their frustration to social media, questioning why the TNRL were holding on to the MMT brand when the name was given for the national rugby league team.
RNZ Pacific was told that the MMT name was given by the late King Tupou IV to the TNRL, and ever since then, the national side had been known by the name until the new association was formed.
Lord Fakafanua said the TNRL legally owns the name and its trademark because they had it registered.
TNRL chairman George Koloamatangi said in a statement on 12 October that any commercial use of the MMT name and trademark was not allowed, unless prior approval is given by the TNRL.
He said they had protected the use of the MMT name and trademark so that people do not exploit the brand.
He added any money raised from the use of the brand goes towards supporting the development of local Tongan players and teams.
Koloamatanagi has not clarified whether they have given Tonga 13 the right to use the MMT name.
Tonga kick off their RLWC campaign against England on Saturday night in Perth.
