INTERNATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE · MEN’S TEAM

Samoa national rugby league team

Toa Samoa

Samoa’s men’s national rugby league team is known as Toa Samoa. It first competed as Western Samoa in the 1986 Pacific Cup and later became a World Cup finalist.

International beginnings: 1986 Pacific Cup
First men’s World Cup: 1995 as Western Samoa
World Cup record through 2022: Runners-up at the 2021 edition, played in 2022

When did Samoa’s team begin?

Rugby League Samoa dates the national side’s beginnings to the 1986 Pacific Cup in the Cook Islands. Western Samoa defeated Tokelau 34–12 in its opening match and eventually reached the tournament final. The federation’s historical account also dates regular domestic rugby league to the period after the 1988 Pacific Cup. The national side and domestic competition therefore have different starting milestones.

Key milestones

1986 — Western Samoa entered the Pacific Cup and reached the final.
1995 — Western Samoa made its men’s World Cup debut.
2022 — Samoa reached its first men’s World Cup final and finished runners-up to Australia.

Understanding this team

Historical results under Western Samoa form part of this team’s story. The final played in November 2022 belonged to the postponed 2021 World Cup edition. This profile records that achievement as a completed tournament result rather than a live 2026 standing.

Sources and further reading

Profile researched: 24 October 2026. Dates distinguish representative-team origins from governing-body formation where the sources make that distinction.