Tonga has been given a tough draw at next year's Rugby League World Cup, including a showdown with arch-rivals Samoa at Parramatta.

The Kristian Woolf-coached Tongans have been drawn in Group C, which means they play matches against Group B sides England, Samoa and Lebanon.

Their round-three showdown with Samoa on November 1 at CommBank Stadium is set to be a sellout after 44,682 fans watched the Samoans beat Tonga 34-6 at Suncorp Stadium in this year's Pacific Cup.

Samoa creates rugby league magic

The passion of the Pacific shines through in Samoa's rugby league team, and the pride the people have is evident on the island.

Defending World Cup champions Australia will kick off the 10-nation men's tournament against Pacific Cup holders and Group A rivals New Zealand on October 15 at Al

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