As international rugby league prepares to return to New Zealand soil when the Kiwis host Mate Ma'a Tonga on Saturday, winger Jordan Rapana is hopeful the two sides can continue to develop their rivalry with regular tests in the coming years.
On Saturday evening, the Kiwis welcome Tonga to a sold out Mt Smart Stadium, as the first game of test rugby league since the end of 2019, and the first game of any kind since 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic after NZ Warriors were forced to relocate to Australia.
Fittingly, the Kiwis will be up against Tonga, as the two sides have formed a healthy rivalry in recent years, dating back to the 2017 Rugby League World Cup.
As the Pacific nation were bolstered by players with dual eligibility who decided to represent their heritage - with star names like Jason Taumalolo and Andrew Fifita opting against playing for New Zealand and Australia respectively - Tonga stunned the Kiwis 28-22 in Hamilton.
In 2019 though, the Kiwis got their own back with a 34-14 victory over Tonga at Mt Smart Stadium, in part thanks to a double to Shaun Johnson.
All up, the two sides have played just six times since 1995, with New Zealand leading 5-1 on the head-to-head record.
But as the international game looks to take more of a prominent role ahead of the NRL, with a World Cup to be held in England later this year, winger Rapana wants to see the Kiwis and Tonga face off more often.
"I'd love to, and I'm sure the fans would love too in New Zealand," Rapana said.
"I know there's a lot of Tongans here. Any time they get to have a test match, their fans come in numbers.
"It's good for the game, good for the country and good for the game of rugby league."
The Kiwis meanwhile have named a strong 17 to face Tonga on Saturday, led by the spine of Joseph Manu of the Sydney Roosters, Parramatta Eels five-eighth Dylan Brown, and Melbourne Storm duo Jahrome Hughes and Brandon Smith at halfback and hooker respectively.
In fact, such is the influx of Australian-based talent, only one NZ Warriors player has made coach Michael Maguire's squad.
While normally the Warriors would contribute a core of players to a given Kiwis side, only winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak has been called up this time around, and hasn't been named in the matchday squad.
That depth has seen calls this could be among the strongest New Zealand side ever named, with Rapana confident in his agreement with the sentiment.
"It's got to be up there with the best Kiwis squad I've been part of - on paper that is.
"I know the boys will be wearing this jersey with pride and passion. I'm looking forward to it."
One of the four new faces for this test is Cronulla Sharks winger Ronaldo Mulitalo, named for his first New Zealand start after a failed bid to represent Queensland in State of Origin last year.
Mulitalo, 22, starts on the opposite wing of Rapana, seeing the pair team up together for the first time.
And after only playing against each other in the NRL, Canberra Raiders' Rapana says Mulitalo has been a welcome addition to the New Zealand side.
"He's a good fella," he added. The only time I've come up against him is on the field, so I got to meet him in person.
"He's a wonderful, humble kid and I'm looking forward to playing on the wing with him.
"He's a bit of a character. He's a funny lad. We've got a few clowns in the team, so he fit in really well."
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