World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup

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.

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.^[1]

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.^[2] 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."^[3] 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.^[4]

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. Georgia was invited for the 2018 tournament hosted in Suva.^[5]

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.^[6]

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.^[7][8] The competition format would, however, be staged with a round-robin pool stage followed by a knockout stage (finals),^[8] hosted by Japan or the United States, to decide the tournament winner, unlike the previous format.^[8] In August 2024, it was revealed that the 2025 edition (finals hosted by the United States) of the Pacific Nations Cup would double as the qualification tournament for the newly expanded 2027 Rugby World Cup,^[9] merging North America and the Asia-Pacific regions, replacing the former regional qualification method.^[9] With this announcement, five of the six teams that compete in the Pacific Nations Cup will automatically qualify for the 2027 Rugby World Cup as Fiji and Japan had qualified via the 2023 Rugby World Cup Pool stage.^[10]

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.^[13]

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.^[14][15]

The following tables contain points and tries scored in the Pacific Nations Cup.

More information Rank, Player ...

Top points scorers Rank Player Team Points 1 Kurt Morath  Tonga 188 2 Ayumu Goromaru  Japan 142 3 Seremaia Bai  Fiji 130 4 Lee Seung-Sin  Japan 121 5 Taniela Rawaqa  Fiji 103 6 James Arlidge  Japan 102 7 Ben Volavola  Fiji 97 8 Sonatane Takulua  Tonga 86 9 AJ MacGinty  United States 82 10 Caleb Muntz  Fiji 77 Last updated: 20 September 2025 Source: statbunker.com

Top try scorers Rank Player Team Tries 1 David Lemi  Samoa 11 2 Hosea Gear  Junior All Blacks 10 3 Sonatane Takulua  Tonga 8 Anthony Tuitavake  Junior All Blacks 8 5 Takashi Kikutani  Japan 7 Leone Nakarawa  Fiji 7 Hendrick Tui  Japan 7 Lachlan Turner  Australia A 7 Fetuʻu Vainikolo  Tonga 7 10 Koliniasi Holani  Japan 6 Vunga Lilo  Tonga 6 Timoci Nagusa  Fiji 6 Blaine Scully  United States 6 Last updated: 22 August 2025 Source: statbunker.com

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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

More information Stadium, Location ...

Stadium	Location	Years (No. of Matches)	Total
America First Field	Salt Lake City	2025 (2)	2
Apia Park	Apia	2007 (3), 2008 (2), 2009 (1), 2010 (5), 2014 (1), 2016 (1), 2017 (1), 2019 (1), 2024 (1)	16
Avaya Stadium	San Jose	2015 (2)	2
Ballymore Stadium	Brisbane	2008 (1)	1
BC Place	Vancouver	2024 (1)	1
BCU International Stadium	Coffs Harbour	2007 (2)	2
BMO Field	Toronto	2015 (3)	3
Carisbrook	Dunedin	2006 (1), 2007 (1)	2
Central Coast Stadium	Gosford	2006 (2)	2
Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium	Tokyo	2007 (1), 2011 (1), 2012 (3), 2013 (2), 2024 (3)	10
Churchill Park	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	Townsville	2007 (1)	1
Dick's Sporting Goods Park	Denver	2025 (3)	3
Ellerslie Rugby Park	Edmonton	2014 (1)	1
Hanazono Rugby Stadium	Higashiōsaka	2019 (1), 2024 (2)	3
Heart Health Park	California	2014 (1), 2015 (2), 2025 (1)	4
HFC Bank Stadium	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	Kitakyushu	2006 (1)	1
Infinity Park	Glendale	2019 (1)	1
Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium	Kamaishi	2019 (1)	1
Kumagaya Rugby Ground	Kamaishi	2024 (1)	1
Lawaqa Park	Sigatoka	2009 (1)	1
Level-5 Stadium	Fukuoka	2008 (1)	1
McLean Park	Napier	2008 (1)	1
McMahon Stadium	Calgary	2025 (1)	1
Mizuho Rugby Stadium	Nagoya	2012 (2), 2013 (2)	4
Nagai Stadium	Osaka	2006 (1)	1
Nippatsu Mitsuzawa Stadium	Kanagawa	2013 (1)	1
North Harbour Stadium	Auckland	2006 (1), 2008 (1)	2
North Sydney Oval	Sydney	2008 (1)	1
Olympic Stadium	Tokyo	2008 (1)	1
Richardson Memorial Stadium	Kingston, Ontario	2013 (1)	1
Rotorua International Stadium	Rotorua	2025 (1)	1
Sendai Stadium	Sendai	2007 (1), 2008 (1)	2
Sydney Football Stadium	Sydney	2007 (1), 2008 (1)	2
StubHub Center	Los Angeles	2013 (1), 2014 (1), 2024 (1)	3
Swangard Stadium	British Columbia	2014 (1), 2015 (4)	5
Teufaiva Sport Stadium	Nukuʻalofa	2007 (1), 2008 (2), 2009 (1), 2017 (2), 2024 (1), 2025 (1)	8
Twin Elm Rugby Park	Ottawa	2013 (1)	1
Waikato Stadium	Waikato	2008 (1)	1
Yarrow Stadium	New Plymouth	2006 (2)	2
Yurtec Stadium Sendai	Sendai	2025 (1)	1

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• World Rugby Pacific Challenge