International rugby league is coming back, with three bumper fixtures slated for late-June's Representative Round.
Samoa will tackle Cook Islands and Papua New Guinea will face Fiji in a double-header at Campbelltown Stadium on Saturday June 25, while New Zealand host Tonga the same day.
That will be the first elite rugby league fixture played across the Tasman since the pandemic began. None of the nations have played an international fixture in that span either.
The internationals will be sandwiched between State of Origin matches, with the women facing off in Canberra on Friday June 24 before the men play game two of their series on Sunday June 26 in Perth.
"The Pacific Test matches will be vital for these nations as they prepare for the World Cup later this year and importantly, for our fans, a chance to watch their heroes live in their national colours," Australia Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V'landys said.
"This is part of a long-term plan to grow the international game in conjunction with International Rugby League (IRL) and member countries.
"We've seen with the growth and success of Tonga in recent years and we want to capitalise on the potential depth of our Test playing nations."
North Queensland superstar Jason Taumalolo, who hasn't played for Tonga since leading them to a famous upset of Australia in 2019, touched on the special feeling representing his country gives him.
"It's been a while since I last played for Tonga ... the last time we did play was when we beat Australia," he told AAP.
"It's been years now, but I've been keeping in contact with a lot of people and they've been notifying us when we can play.
"Obviously my main focus is here at (North Queensland) but like you said, in the back of my mind, I'm thinking about obviously playing for Tonga.
"I love playing for Tonga, because it's my culture and it's a different feel playing for your people."
IRL chairman Troy Grant agreed getting the Pacific nations back on the field was huge for the code.
"There has been very little opportunity to play international matches for more than two years and we know how passionate the players from the Cook Islands, Fiji, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Tonga are about representing their nations," he said.
