How to watch England vs Tonga for FREE: Live Streams

England will face Tonga in their opening match of the 2026 Rugby League World Cup at HBF Park in Perth. Brian McDermott's England team are determined to achieve their first title, despite never winning the championship in the tournament's history. England failed to secure the title in their previous seven World Cup appearances, reaching the semi-finals or final in each of those campaigns.

The upcoming clash is England's first game under new head coach Brian McDermott, who has made notable selection decisions. Mikey Lewis has been left out of the squad, while Harry Smith is chosen as the half-back. Jack Welsby will be on the bench, while NRL star AJ Brimson starts at full-back and Wigan Warriors winger Zach Eckersley makes his international debut.

Tonga, who lost a dramatic 2017 semi-final to England by one try, are confident of overturning the result and are among the favorites. They field a strong squad, including experienced half-back Isaiya Katoa and versatile players Tyson Frizell and AJ Brimson. The Rugby League World Cup features three teams from each of the two groups playing against each other.

England's next matches are against France and Papua New Guinea, while Tonga will face Lebanon and Samoa. The tournament offers free live streaming on 7Plus in Australia, Premier Sports in the UK, and via a VPN service in other countries.