How Toa Samoa Became a World Cup Finalist

Samoa’s men’s national team in international rugby league is Toa Samoa, the 13-a-side side that reached its first World Cup final in 2022. It is distinct from Manu Samoa, the country’s rugby union team. Toa Samoa was fourth in the November 2025 International Rugby League rankings and will face France, Papua New Guinea and Tonga in the scheduled 2026 World Cup pool stage.

Choose a tournament to see Samoa’s finish and the result that defined its campaign.

Toa Samoa at a Glance

Record point	Detail
National team	Toa Samoa
First match listed by Rugby League Samoa	Western Samoa 34–12 Tokelau, Rarotonga, 1986
First World Cup	1995
Best World Cup finish	Runners-up, 2021 tournament played in 2022
November 2025 IRL ranking	Fourth
2026 World Cup pool	Group B

Rugby League Samoa translates Toa as “brave warrior” and associates the team name with Tautua (service), Ola (life) and Alofa (love). Its history identifies the 34–12 win over Tokelau in the 1986 Pacific Cup as Western Samoa’s first match. It also records consecutive Pacific Cup titles in 1990 and 1992 (Rugby League Samoa).

That starting point makes the scale of Samoa’s later progress clear: from a Pacific Cup newcomer in 1986 to the first Pacific nation to contest a men’s Rugby League World Cup final.

Samoa Has Played at Every World Cup Since 1995

Samoa has appeared in every men’s World Cup staged since making its debut in 1995. The tournament dates carry one important qualification: the 2021 Rugby League World Cup was postponed and played in 2022 (IRL 2021 annual report).

The early record was intermittent rather than a straight rise. Samoa opened its 1995 campaign with a 56–10 win over France but did not advance from the group stage.

In 2000, Samoa reached the quarter-finals for the first time. Australia ended that campaign with a 66–10 victory. Samoa returned to the group stage in 2008 before reaching the quarter-finals in both 2013 and 2017. Australia won the 2017 quarter-final 46–0.

Scores from every edition are available in the site’s Rugby League World Cup match record.

The 2022 Run Changed Samoa’s International Standing

Samoa reached its first World Cup final despite beginning the tournament with a 60–6 pool defeat by England. Its recovery culminated in consecutive close knockout victories.

Samoa Beat Tonga 20–18 in the Quarter-Final

Samoa and Tonga each scored three tries. The difference came from Stephen Crichton, who converted all three Samoa tries and added a penalty goal in the 20–18 victory (NRL match centre).

The result sent Samoa to a World Cup semi-final for the first time.

A Golden-Point Field Goal Eliminated England

The semi-final against England was tied 26–26 at the end of regulation time. Crichton then kicked the golden-point field goal that completed Samoa’s 27–26 victory and secured a place in the final (NRL match centre).

The win was especially notable because England had beaten Samoa by 54 points in the opening pool match.

Australia Won the Final 30–10

Australia scored six tries in the final at Old Trafford and defeated Samoa 30–10. Brian To’o and Crichton scored Samoa’s two tries (NRL match centre).

The runners-up finish remains Samoa’s best World Cup result. International Rugby League recorded the appearance as the first time a Pacific nation had reached a Rugby League World Cup final (IRL 2022 annual report). “World Cup finalist” is therefore the clearest shorthand for Toa Samoa’s place in the men’s international record.

Samoa Reached the 2025 Pacific Cup Final

England won both matches of Samoa’s 2024 tour. Samoa was subsequently fifth in the December 2024 IRL rankings (International Rugby League).

The following year brought a stronger Pacific Cup campaign:

Date	Match	Result
19 October 2025	New Zealand v Samoa	Lost 24–18
26 October 2025	Tonga v Samoa	Won 34–6
9 November 2025	New Zealand v Samoa, final	Lost 36–14

The victory over Tonga was emphatic. Samoa scored six tries to one in a 34–6 win before a crowd of 44,682 in Brisbane.

In the final, Samoa led New Zealand 14–6 at half-time. New Zealand overturned that deficit after the interval and won 36–14.

Reaching the final helped lift Samoa from fifth to fourth in the rankings published on 17 November 2025 (International Rugby League).

That ranking is not an all-time table. IRL calculates its rankings from the current season and three preceding seasons, accounting for the result, winning margin, opposition strength, recency and match importance. Fourth described Samoa’s competitive position at that publication date, not its standing across every era.

Samoa’s Scheduled 2026 World Cup Fixtures

Toa Samoa’s scheduled group-stage matches are:

Date	Opponent	Venue
16 October 2026	France	CommBank Stadium, Sydney
24 October 2026	Papua New Guinea	Santos National Stadium, Port Moresby
1 November 2026	Tonga	CommBank Stadium, Sydney

The official tournament site lists those three fixtures (RLWC26).

Group B Does Not Play Within Its Own Group

The 2026 format gives Samoa an unusual route to the semi-finals. Toa Samoa is in Group B with England and Lebanon, but the Group B teams play only opponents from Group C: Tonga, Papua New Guinea and France.

Results from Groups B and C feed into one combined table. The top two sides in that table advance to the semi-finals (International Rugby League).

For record purposes, Samoa cannot be assessed by its nominal Group B opponents alone. Its three scheduled results against Group C opposition will determine its position in the combined standings. The final pool match is against Tonga at CommBank Stadium on 1 November.

The tie-breaking process is explained in how the 2026 pools decide the semi-finalists.