The 2024 Samoa tour of England was being discussed between the two nations following the conclusion of the 2021 Rugby League World Cup in addition to the previous years Tonga tour of England. The tour was all but confirmed on 3 August 2023, with International Rugby League announced their long-awaited international calendar following the cancellation of the 2025 Rugby League World Cup.[3][4] This initially did not happen with Samoa eventually declining their tour invitation on 9 November, in order to play in the returning Rugby League Pacific Championship (a competition which began in 2019 but never had a second edition due to the COVID-19 pandemic) for the 2024 edition.[5][6][7]
On 27 November, Samoa re-engaged talks about the potential test series,[8][9] and on 13 June 2024 the tour was confirmed, but with only a two-match test series (one short of a traditional tour),[1][2] with the hope that the reduced schedule would allow Samoa to compete in the 2024 Rugby League Pacific Championships as well.[10][11]
The tour will be Samoa's first ever tour, and only the second of a Pacific Island Nation (with Tonga's tour the year prior being the first).[14]
The games will be the sixth and seventh meeting of the two sides with England winning all previous encounter except for the most recent – the 2021 World Cup semi-final.
Upon the initial planning of the tour, Samoa were above England in the World Rankings (still 3rd and 4th), but a successful tour for England and an unsuccessful Pacific Championships for Samoa in 2023 flipped these rankings.
England
1
1
Samoa
