A new format introduced by World Rugby for this year’s Pacific Nations Cup (PNC) has generated considerable interest. This initiative involves six participating nations: Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Japan, Canada, and the United States.
World Rugby aims to enhance global rugby competitiveness in anticipation of the expanded men’s Rugby World Cup scheduled for 2027.
The current PNC is structured into two pools. Pool A consists of Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga, while Pool B includes Japan, the USA, and Canada. Each team will compete in two matches, including one home game, during a three-week pool stage running from August 23 to September 7. The top two teams from each pool will progress to the semifinals.
The elimination rounds will commence on September 14, starting with the 5th place playoff at the Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. This will be followed by the first semifinal on the same day at the same venue, and the second semifinal will take place the following day there.
The tournament will conclude on September 21 with the third place playoff and the grand final at the Hanazono Rugby Stadium in Osaka, Japan.
The opening match on August 23 is expected to be an exciting showdown as the Flying Fijians face a formidable Manu Samoa team at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva at 6pm. This year’s competition will also see the trial of new rugby laws and some amendments to existing regulations, adding an intriguing element to the tournament.
The PNC, now in its 17th year, is an important event on the rugby calendar. The Flying Fijians are the defending champions, having secured the Cup last year at the Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground in Tokyo, Japan, marking their record sixth title in the competition, which includes four consecutive wins from 2015 to 2018.