World Cup crowds unite Pacific and Lebanese communities in western Sydney

The Rugby League World Cup has drawn large crowds and shared celebrations across western Sydney, with Pacific and Lebanese communities gathering at matches, fan events and church services. Reporting from the area, the Guardian documented supporters displaying national flags on vehicles, wearing team colours to worship and joining one another's celebrations as their countries compete in the tournament.

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More than 25,000 spectators attended Tonga's victory over Lebanon at Commbank Stadium in Parramatta. Demand for the Tonga-Samoa fixture also prompted a proposal to transfer that match to Accor Stadium at Olympic Park. According to the Guardian, the NRL believed the larger venue could attract 60,000 fans, but existing concert bookings prevented the move. That figure was an estimate of potential attendance, not a recorded crowd.

At Harold Wood Uniting Church in Auburn, lay preacher Aisea Taufa told the newspaper that members of the Tongan congregation had been unable to obtain tickets for the Samoa match. He said it had sold out two weeks earlier. The congregation, which revitalised the church building in 1997, was displaying its support through national colours and flags while also marking a wedding within the community.

Newlyweds Viliame and Talita Latu had married on the same day Tonga played Lebanon. They told the Guardian that guests had followed the match on phones and an iPad during their wedding reception. Their account illustrated how tournament commitments overlapped with family occasions, with the couple's first Sunday church service after their wedding taking place among fellow Tonga supporters.

The celebrations also crossed national-team boundaries. Former players Hazem El Masri, Tim Mannah and Josh Mansour led thousands of Lebanon supporters through central Parramatta before the Tonga game. Tongan fans joined the procession and took part in dabke dancing. Viliame Latu told the Guardian that supporters marched together rather than leaving the Lebanese contingent to make its way to the stadium alone.

Other gatherings have brought supporters close to current players. Samoa winger Brian To'o appeared onstage at a Mount Druitt fan day attended by thousands before the tournament began. The Guardian's reporting also recalled Jason Taumalolo's decision to represent Tonga rather than New Zealand at the 2017 World Cup, a choice Latu cited as an inspiration for younger generations to represent their family heritage.