Tonga expelled from International Rugby League

The Tonga National Rugby League has been expelled from the International Rugby League.

The Tongan board had a fallout with its players and staff last year and the issue has still not been resolved.

It resulted in the island being represented by a representative side for their test matches in the autumn, where Kristian Woolf’s side defeated Great Britain and Australia.

In a statement released by the IRL, it read: “At its Board meeting on February 13, the directors carefully considered the position of Tonga National Rugby League, which has been suspended since October 2019, in the light of a wide-ranging consultation with stakeholders in the Tongan game.

“After that meeting, the board wrote to TNRL, advising them of the resolution passed at that meeting, which is to expel TNRL from the membership.

“There is a process within the IRL constitution for dealing with membership issues, which IRL is following.

“TNRL has one week to appeal the board’s decision. Should it choose to do so, the matter will be decided by the members in general meeting.”

IRL say they will be making no further comments until due constitutional process is completed.

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