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World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup
Rugby union competition
Rugby union competition
| Field | Value | |
|---|---|---|
| title | World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup | |
| logo | File:Pacific Nations Cup.jpg | |
| logo_size | 140px | |
| current_season | 2025 World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup | |
| sport | Rugby union | |
| founded | ||
| inaugural | 2006 | |
| teams | {{plainlist | |
| champion | (2025) | |
| most_champs | (7 titles) | |
| website |
The Pacific Nations Cup is an international rugby union competition held between Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Canada, Japan and the United States. First held in 2006, the tournament is intended to strengthen the Tier 2 rugby teams by providing competitive test matches in a tournament format.
Former teams include the Junior All Blacks (2006, 2007, 2009), Australia A (2007, 2008, 2015), Georgia (2018) and the Māori All Blacks (2008). The inaugural tournament was the only one that carried the title of IRB Pacific 5 Nations; from 2007 the competition was known as the IRB Pacific Nations Cup and subsequently the World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup.
Format
The tournament is a round-robin, where each team plays one match against each of the other teams. There are four points for a win, two points for a draw and none for a defeat. There are also bonus points offered with one bonus point for scoring four or more tries in a match and one bonus point for losing by 7 points or fewer.
The tournament generally occurs every year in the June mid-year international test window. The tournament was played mainly throughout June, with the last round in early July. The revised tournament begins in May due to pre-existing Test commitments and concludes in late June.
History
The Pacific Nations Cup was funded as an International Rugby Board (IRB) tournament which was part of the $US50 million, three-year, global strategic investment programme launched in August 2005. The competition was aimed at developing the Pacific rim sides in the second tier of the rugby countries: Fiji, Japan, Samoa and Tonga. The Junior All Blacks were also invited to compete, who are New Zealand's second XV. "The IRB Pacific 5 Nations is a tournament that will provide more certainty for Fiji, Japan, Samoa and Tonga in terms of regular high level Test match rugby, while also providing a high level of competition for the Junior All Blacks," said Mark Egan, the IRB's Head of Rugby Services.
In the first year only it was called the Pacific 5 Nations and did not include Australia. Australia had been invited to take part in the inaugural 2006 tournament but decided against sending a team stating that they wanted to focus on their domestic competition. The inaugural tournament kicked off 3 June 2006 and was played in a round-robin format, with some games being held in Australia. The Junior All Blacks won all of their matches en route to winning the 2006 tournament. The inaugural tournament was a success in providing a platform for Pacific states and Japan in gaining valuable exposure.
Australia A joined an expanded competition for the 2007 season. The inclusion of Australia A meant that the tier 2 teams would have an even greater number of matches in the buildup to the 2007 Rugby World Cup. For Australia, it provided a stepping stone for Wallaby selection. Following the 2008 tournament, however, the ARU announced Australia A would not play in 2009 due to the current economic environment. Australia has not participated again until 2022.
In 2008, the New Zealand Māori team replaced the Junior All Blacks in the competition. The New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) had decided that the New Zealand Māori needed to play more matches at home and that the Junior All Blacks would not be assembled in 2008 for reasons of "player welfare." The Junior All Blacks returned for the 2009 tournament, but no New Zealand team has participated since then.
From 2010 to 2012, the Pacific Nations Cup was a four-team tournament, contested by Japan, Fiji, Samoa and Tonga, with Samoa winning in 2010 and 2012, and Japan winning in 2011.
In January 2013, the IRB announced that both the United States and Canada teams would be joining the 2013 competition on a permanent basis. For the first time, the reigning champion Samoan team did not compete as they took part in a competition in South Africa.
The Pacific Nations Cup was downscaled for 2016 and 2017 with these two editions featuring only Fiji, Samoa and Tonga. The sides from Canada, Japan and United States played in their respective regional qualifiers for the 2019 Rugby World Cup. As part of the Oceanian qualification, places at the 2019 Rugby World Cup were awarded to the two top teams of the 2016 and 2017 PNC (on aggregate), whereas the bottom team played a repechage match against the second best Rugby Europe Championship team. was invited for the 2018 tournament hosted in Suva.
For 2019, Canada, Japan and the United States returned to the tournament, serving as a prelude to the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Japan won without losing a match.
The tournament was not held in 2020 or 2021, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other related logistical issues. It was revived in 2022, with the ever-present Fiji, Samoa and Tonga being joined by Australia A. Samoa won all three matches, ahead of Australia A.
In October 2023, World Rugby announced that beginning in 2024 the Pacific Nations Cup will be contested by six permanent teams from North America, the Pacific, and Asia: Canada, Fiji, Japan, Samoa, Tonga, and the United States. The competition format would, however, be staged with a round-robin pool stage followed by a knockout stage (finals), merging North America and the Asia-Pacific regions, replacing the former regional qualification method.
Teams
2006–2022
The teams in the Pacific Nations Cup and their finishing positions are as follows:
| Team | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 22 | Pacific teams | Other teams | Former teams |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd | 4th | 4th | 2nd | 2nd | 3rd | 2nd | 1st | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | ||||
| 2nd | 3rd | 3rd | 3rd | 1st | 4th | 1st | 1st | 2nd | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 4th | 1st | |||||
| 4th | 5th | 6th | 5th | 4th | 2nd | 3rd | 3rd | 3rd | 3rd | 3rd | 2nd | 2nd | 5th | 4th | ||||
| 2nd | 3rd | 6th | 6th | |||||||||||||||
| 5th | 6th | 5th | 4th | 3rd | 1st | 4th | 4th | 1st | 4th | 1st | ||||||||
| 5th | 2nd | 5th | 3rd | |||||||||||||||
| 2nd | 2nd | 2nd | ||||||||||||||||
| 3rd | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1st | 1st | 1st | ||||||||||||||||
| New Zealand Māori New Zealand Māori | 1st |
2024–present
The teams in the Pacific Nations Cup from the 2024 season and their finishing positions are as follows:
Notes: The 2014 tournament was split into conferences without crossover matches or finals. Samoa and Japan won their respective conference titles.
Commercial sponsorship
On 20 June 2008 the International Rugby Board announced that regional financial institution ANZ had agreed to become presenting sponsor of the competition, as well as the FORU Oceania Cup and the Pacific Rugby Cup.
On 16 August 2024, World Rugby and Asahi Breweries Limited announced that Asahi Super Dry would be the title sponsor and official beer of the competition.
Results
| Year | Finals host | Gold medal match | Bronze medal match | Teams | Gold medal | Score | Silver medal | Bronze medal | Score | Fourth place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | **** | round-robin | round-robin | 5 | ||||||
| 2007 | **** | round-robin | round-robin | 6 | ||||||
| 2008 | New Zealand Māori | round-robin | round-robin | 6 | ||||||
| 2009 | **** | round-robin | round-robin | 5 | ||||||
| 2010 | **** | round-robin | round-robin | 4 | ||||||
| 2011 | **** | round-robin | round-robin | 4 | ||||||
| 2012 | **** | round-robin | round-robin | 4 | ||||||
| 2013 | **** | round-robin | round-robin | 5 | ||||||
| 2014 | **** | |||||||||
| **** | round-robin; two conferences | |||||||||
| round-robin; two conferences | 6 | |||||||||
| 2015 | Canada | **** | 39–29 | |||||||
| Swangard Stadium, Burnaby | 31–20 | |||||||||
| Swangard Stadium, Burnaby | 6 | |||||||||
| 2016 | **** | round-robin | round-robin | 3 | ||||||
| 2017 | **** | round-robin | round-robin | 3 | ||||||
| 2018 | **** | round-robin | round-robin | 4 | ||||||
| 2019 | **** | round-robin | round-robin | 6 | ||||||
| 2022 | **** | round-robin | round-robin | 4 | ||||||
| 2024 | Japan | **** | 41–17 | |||||||
| Hanazono Stadium, Higashiōsaka | 18–13 | |||||||||
| Hanazono Stadium, Higashiōsaka | 6 | |||||||||
| 2025 | United States | **** | 33–27 | |||||||
| America First Field, Salt Lake City | ||||||||||
| 35–24 | ||||||||||
| America First Field, Salt Lake City | 6 |
Champions record
| Team | Champions | Runners-up | Third | Fourth | New Zealand Māori New Zealand Māori |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2024, 2025) | 5 (2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2019) | 3 (2006, 2011, 2022) | 2 (2007, 2008) | ||
| 4 (2010, 2012, 2014, 2022) | 3 (2006, 2015, 2016) | 5 (2007, 2008, 2009, 2017, 2024) | 3 (2011, 2018, 2019) | ||
| 3 (2011, 2014, 2019) | 2 (2024, 2025) | 1 (2010) | 4 (2009, 2012, 2013, 2015) | ||
| 3 (2006, 2007, 2009) | |||||
| 1 (2008) | |||||
| 3 (2011, 2017, 2018) | 6 (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2025) | 3 (2006, 2010, 2022) | |||
| 3 (2007, 2008, 2022) | |||||
| 1 (2014) | 1 (2019) | 1 (2024) | |||
| 1 (2013) | 1 (2014) | 1 (2025) | |||
| 1 (2018) |
Summary
| Team | P | W | D | L | W% | PF | PA | Diff. | TF | TA | TB | LB | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | TB | LB | Pts-- | |
| 57 | 37 | 2 | 18 | % | 1,500 | 1,191 | +309 | 193 | 139 | 26 | 8 | 186 | |
| 52 | 25 | 2 | 25 | % | 1,177 | 1,154 | +23 | 139 | 132 | 12 | 8 | 124 | |
| 48 | 21 | 0 | 27 | % | 1,207 | 1,387 | −180 | 143 | 186 | 17 | 8 | 109 | |
| 56 | 18 | 1 | 37 | % | 1,169 | 1,652 | −483 | 138 | 201 | 10 | 11 | 95 | |
| 13 | 13 | 0 | 0 | % | 556 | 160 | +396 | 80 | 21 | 12 | 0 | 64 | |
| 13 | 9 | 1 | 3 | % | 489 | 252 | +237 | 66 | 31 | 8 | 2 | 48 | |
| 20 | 7 | 0 | 13 | % | 406 | 518 | −112 | 42 | 63 | 5 | 3 | 36 | |
| 20 | 4 | 0 | 16 | % | 400 | 632 | −232 | 48 | 77 | 4 | 4 | 24 | |
| New Zealand Māori New Zealand Māori | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | % | 134 | 62 | +72 | 18 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 21 |
| 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | % | 31 | 52 | −21 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
Updated: 10 October 2025 W is 4 points. D is 2 points. 1 bonus point given for TB or LB. Points and bonus points tally includes playoff matches.
Top scorers
The following tables contain points and tries scored in the Pacific Nations Cup.
Top points scorers
| Rank | Player | Team | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kurt Morath | 188 | ||
| 2 | Ayumu Goromaru | 142 | ||
| 3 | Seremaia Bai | 130 | ||
| 4 | Lee Seung-Sin | 121 | ||
| 5 | Taniela Rawaqa | 103 | ||
| 6 | James Arlidge | 102 | ||
| 7 | Ben Volavola | 97 | ||
| 8 | Sonatane Takulua | 86 | ||
| 9 | AJ MacGinty | 82 | ||
| 10 | Caleb Muntz | 77 |
Last updated: 20 September 2025 Source: statbunker.com
Top try scorers
| Rank | Player | Team | Tries |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Lemi | 11 | |
| 2 | Hosea Gear | 10 | |
| 3 | Sonatane Takulua | 8 | |
| Anthony Tuitavake | 8 | ||
| 5 | Takashi Kikutani | 7 | |
| Leone Nakarawa | 7 | ||
| Hendrick Tui | 7 | ||
| Lachlan Turner | 7 | ||
| Fetuʻu Vainikolo | 7 | ||
| 10 | Koliniasi Holani | 6 | |
| Vunga Lilo | 6 | ||
| Timoci Nagusa | 6 | ||
| Blaine Scully | 6 |
Last updated: 22 August 2025 Source: statbunker.com
Venues
Below is a table listing all the venues that have been used in the tournaments, listed with the number of matches each venue has hosted annually and historically:
Table updated to 2025 tournament
| Stadium | Location | Years | |
|---|---|---|---|
| (No. of Matches) | Total | ||
| America First Field | USA Salt Lake City | 2025 (2) | 2 |
| Apia Park | SAM Apia | 2007 (3), 2008 (2), 2009 (1), 2010 (5), 2014 (1), 2016 (1), 2017 (1), 2019 (1), 2024 (1) | 16 |
| Avaya Stadium | USA San Jose | 2015 (2) | 2 |
| Ballymore Stadium | AUS Brisbane | 2008 (1) | 1 |
| BC Place | CAN Vancouver | 2024 (1) | 1 |
| BCU International Stadium | AUS Coffs Harbour | 2007 (2) | 2 |
| BMO Field | CAN Toronto | 2015 (3) | 3 |
| Carisbrook | NZL Dunedin | 2006 (1), 2007 (1) | 2 |
| Central Coast Stadium | AUS Gosford | 2006 (2) | 2 |
| Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium | JPN Tokyo | 2007 (1), 2011 (1), 2012 (3), 2013 (2), 2024 (3) | 10 |
| Churchill Park | FJI Lautoka | 2007 (2), 2008 (2), 2009 (5), 2010 (1), 2011 (3), 2012 (1), 2013 (1), 2014 (1), 2019 (1), 2022 (4) | 20 |
| Dairy Farmers Stadium | AUS Townsville | 2007 (1) | 1 |
| Dick's Sporting Goods Park | USA Denver | 2025 (3) | 3 |
| Ellerslie Rugby Park | CAN Edmonton | 2014 (1) | 1 |
| Hanazono Rugby Stadium | JPN Higashiōsaka | 2019 (1), 2024 (2) | 3 |
| Heart Health Park | USA California | 2014 (1), 2015 (2), 2025 (1) | 4 |
| HFC Bank Stadium | FIJ Suva | 2006 (2), 2007 (2), 2009 (2), 2011 (2), 2014 (1), 2015 (1), 2016 (2), 2018 (4), 2019 (4), 2022 (2), 2024 (1), 2025 (1) | 24 |
| Honjō Athletic Stadium | JPN Kitakyushu | 2006 (1) | 1 |
| Infinity Park | USA Glendale | 2019 (1) | 1 |
| Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium | JPN Kamaishi | 2019 (1) | 1 |
| Kumagaya Rugby Ground | JPN Kamaishi | 2024 (1) | 1 |
| Lawaqa Park | FJI Sigatoka | 2009 (1) | 1 |
| Level-5 Stadium | JPN Fukuoka | 2008 (1) | 1 |
| McLean Park | NZL Napier | 2008 (1) | 1 |
| McMahon Stadium | CAN Calgary | 2025 (1) | 1 |
| Mizuho Rugby Stadium | JPN Nagoya | 2012 (2), 2013 (2) | 4 |
| Nagai Stadium | JPN Osaka | 2006 (1) | 1 |
| Nippatsu Mitsuzawa Stadium | JPN Kanagawa | 2013 (1) | 1 |
| North Harbour Stadium | NZL Auckland | 2006 (1), 2008 (1) | 2 |
| North Sydney Oval | AUS Sydney | 2008 (1) | 1 |
| Olympic Stadium | JPN Tokyo | 2008 (1) | 1 |
| Richardson Memorial Stadium | CAN Kingston, Ontario | 2013 (1) | 1 |
| Rotorua International Stadium | NZL Rotorua | 2025 (1) | 1 |
| Sendai Stadium | JPN Sendai | 2007 (1), 2008 (1) | 2 |
| Sydney Football Stadium | AUS Sydney | 2007 (1), 2008 (1) | 2 |
| StubHub Center | USA Los Angeles | 2013 (1), 2014 (1), 2024 (1) | 3 |
| Swangard Stadium | CAN British Columbia | 2014 (1), 2015 (4) | 5 |
| Teufaiva Sport Stadium | TGA Nukuʻalofa | 2007 (1), 2008 (2), 2009 (1), 2017 (2), 2024 (1), 2025 (1) | 8 |
| Twin Elm Rugby Park | CAN Ottawa | 2013 (1) | 1 |
| Waikato Stadium | NZL Waikato | 2008 (1) | 1 |
| Yarrow Stadium | NZL New Plymouth | 2006 (2) | 2 |
| Yurtec Stadium Sendai | JAP Sendai | 2025 (1) | 1 |
Notes
References
References
- "IRB Pacific 5 Nations takes shape". rugbyrugby.com.
- (17 December 2008). "Australia A out of 2009 Pacific Nations Cup". The Roar.
- (26 September 2007). "New Zealand Maori to join IRB Pacific Nations Cup". allblacks.com.
- "Rugby".
- (24 October 2023). "World Cup expands to 24 teams amid radical new calendar". [[Reuters]].
- (26 October 2023). "More game time for Pacific team as World Rugby approves expansions". [[Radio New Zealand]].
- (4 June 2024). "Rugby World Cup 2027 Qualifying Pathway Shakeup".
- (13 August 2024). "Qualification process confirmed for expanded Men's Rugby World Cup 2027 in Australia". World Rugby.
- (25 June 2008). "ANZ Bank sponsors Pacific rugby". Fiji Sun.
- (2024-08-16). "Asahi Super Dry becomes title sponsor of Pacific Nations Cup".
- (2024-08-16). "Asahi Super Dry Signs On As Pacific Nations Cup 2024 Title Sponsor".
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