England Men Trail Tonga Heavily in World Cup Opener — SkimNews
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- England men's rugby league team were heading to a heavy loss against Tonga in their opening match of the 2026 Rugby League World Cup on Saturday, October 17, per the article headline.
- England women's rugby league team opened the tournament against Wales at 7:35am UK time, with the men's fixture against Tonga kicking off at 10:05am later that morning.
Why it matters: An opening-match heavy loss for England's men immediately complicates their 2026 Rugby League World Cup campaign, while the women's side's earlier match against Wales set a very different tone for the country's first day of tournament play.
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