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'Half Hopoate, half Habib': Family rivalry heats up as Francis brothers take on Tonga
That was a post on Lebanese Rugby League Federation's Facebook page after Cedars stars Tony and Tupou Francis were embraced by Tonga fans at Sydney Airport earlier this week.
The brothers, who are eligible for up to six nations at IRL Rugby League World Cup 2026, played together for the first time in PNG last weekend and will play opposite cousin Lehi Hopoate in Friday night's match against Tonga at CommBank Stadium.
Their mother is the sister of Lehi's father, John Hopoate, who invited 18-year-old Tupou into the Tonga camp during last year's Pacific Championships to train alongside the likes of Jason Taumalolo and Addin Fonua-Blake.
‘Going to take his head off’: Family rivalry set to explode in World Cup showdown
That is the promise Tony Francis made to cousin Lehi Hopoate as the pair prepare to meet on opposite sides of the field when Tonga face Lebanon on Friday to kick off the second week of the 2026 Rugby League World Cup.
The banter is all part of the family rivalry that has been brewing since childhood when the cousins played together through the junior grades and grew up sharing the same field and attending the same family events.
Now with their international allegiances pulling them to opposite sides, the pair are preparing to turn years of backyard battles and friendly fire into a World Cup showdown.
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