Tonga Rugby XIII has apologised after members of the Tonga national rugby league team were photographed wearing T-shirts bearing the offensive Tongan swear word ʻel_ in the slogan “DON’T BE EL_”, admitting the clothing was distributed without the organisation’s knowledge or approval.
The controversy comes as Tonga has made a strong start to its Rugby League World Cup campaign, defeating England 30–12 in its opening match.
Tonga will head into Saturday’s showdown with Samoa unbeaten after securing a convincing 36–0 victory over Lebanon on Friday night.
The 2026 tournament, running from 15 October to 15 November across Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, features 26 teams from 14 nations competing in men’s, women’s and wheelchair competitions.
However, celebrations of Tonga’s victories were overshadowed by heated debate after members of the Tongan community shared photographs of players wearing the controversial T-shirts, alongside images of boxes that appeared to have been used to package the clothing.
In an official response to questions submitted by Kaniva Tonga News to Prime Minister Lord Fakafanua, who is also Chair of Tonga Rugby XIII, the organisation acknowledged that appropriate checks had not been carried out.
“The T-shirts were handed to the players to wear without the knowledge or approval of Tonga Rugby XIII,” the statement said.
“This was an oversight, and we acknowledge that appropriate checks should have been in place to prevent this from happening.”
The response was signed by Tonga Rugby XIII Secretary General Tavake Fangupo.
Organisation takes corrective action
Tonga Rugby XIII confirmed that it had removed social media content featuring players wearing the T-shirts from its official platforms and introduced improved procedures to prevent similar incidents.
However, the statement did not identify who supplied or authorised the T-shirts, whether the sponsor understood the offensive meaning of the wording, or who distributed them to players.
It also did not clarify whether Lord Fakafanua personally knew about the T-shirts before they were worn.
Cultural concerns raise questions
While some members of the online Tongan community expressed outrage, others suggested the wording may have been intended as encouragement rather than an insult. They pointed out that although ʻel_ literally means “stink” and is regarded as a swear word in Tonga, it is also used in the expression kete ʻel_, gutless, to describe someone who lacks courage or is afraid to confront an opponent, particularly in sport.
Some commenters suggested this may have been the case, noting that the T-shirt sponsors were understood to have grown up overseas and may not have realised how offensive the word is considered in Tonga.
In its questions to Lord Fakafanua, Kaniva Tonga News highlighted concerns that displaying the word ʻel_ breached the Tongan fakaʻapaʻapa of veitapui and veitokai, particularly given the team’s prominent role in representing Tonga before thousands of supporters.
“There was no intention by the team to offend or disrespect the people of Tonga, our Pacific communities, or the cultural values we proudly represent,” Fangupō said in the statement to Kaniva News.
“We sincerely regret the hurt and disappointment this incident has caused.”
Team appeals for support
The organisation said the incident did not reflect the identity of the national team or the country it represents.
“This incident does not reflect who we are as a team, an organization, or a nation,” it said.
Tonga Rugby XIII appealed for the community’s understanding and continued support as the team prepares for its upcoming match against Samoa.
