Pacific Nations Cup: Everything you need to know

As the rebranded cross-regional competition prepares to kick-off on 23 August, we take a look at a tournament with a rich history and an even brighter future.

The wait is almost over for rugby fans in the Pacific and North America as the Pacific Nations Cup 2024 gets ready for kick-off on Friday, 23 August.

Run by World Rugby in partnership with the participating unions, the rebranded tournament is designed to drive competitiveness on the road to the expanded Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 in Australia.

Along the way, it is hoped this new era for the Pacific Nations Cup can help create an annual competition that contains rivalries like those seen in the Men’s Six Nations and Rugby Championship.

Embedded in the southern hemisphere international window, the tournament will combine with the two-division global calendar competitions launching in 2026 to provide unprecedented certainty of fixtures and opportunity for players and fans in Canada, Fiji, Japan, Samoa, Tonga and USA.

What is the Pacific Nations Cup?

The Pacific Nations Cup is an international rugby tournament that was first staged in 2006 and will begin a new era with six teams in 2024.

Fiji, Samoa and Tonga have competed in all 16 editions since the inaugural tournament 18 years ago and have previously been joined by a variety of guest teams.

Japan have appeared in 12 editions of the Pacific Nations Cup to date, while USA and Canada – who will complete the six-team line-up for 2024 and beyond – have competed four times each.

The Junior All Blacks, New Zealand Māori, Australia A and Georgia each previously appeared in the competition at least once.

What is new for 2024?

For the first time, this year’s Pacific Nations Cup will be played in a round-robin two-pool format with a Grand Final deciding the overall champions.

Fiji, Samoa and Tonga will compete in Pool A, while Canada, Japan and USA make up Pool B. Each team will play one home and one away match during the pool stage.

A Finals Series has been introduced this year to decide the destination of the title, with the top two teams in each pool advancing to the semi-finals. The winners of those matches will contest a Grand Final, while the losers play off for third place.

The two teams who finish bottom of their respective pools will compete in a fifth-place play-off on the same day as the first semi-final on 14 September. The second semi-final will take place a day later at the same venue, the Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium.

This year’s Finals Series will be played in Tokyo and Osaka, with hosting duties alternating between Japan and USA on an annual basis.

When will the Pacific Nations Cup 2024 be played?

The Pacific Nations Cup 2024 will get underway on Friday, 23 August when Fiji take on Samoa in Suva before Canada host Japan in Vancouver two days later.

The pool stage will play out over the following two weekends, before the Finals Series begins in Tokyo on Saturday, 14 September.

One week later, on 21 September, the third-place play-off and Grand Final will be played at Hanazono Rugby Stadium.

Has the match schedule been announced?

Yes, you can view the full match schedule on the official Pacific Nations Cup website.

It is possible to sync the fixtures to your calendar and view streaming information to ensure that you don’t miss a single match!

How will the Pacific Nations Cup 2024 champions be crowned?

The winner of the Grand Final at Hanazono Rugby Stadium on Saturday, 21 September will be crowned Pacific Nations Cup 2024 champions.

In order to qualify for that match, the victors will need to have finished in the top two of their pool and then win their semi-final at Tokyo’s Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium.

Where can I watch the Pacific Nations Cup 2024?

Watch live score updates in our app as soon as they match kicks off.

Who is the most successful team in Pacific Nations Cup history?

Fiji have won six Pacific Nations Cup titles, more than any other team, having lifted the trophy for the first time in 2013 and gone on to be victorious in five of the subsequent eight editions.

The next most successful nation is Samoa, who have won the tournament four times, most recently in 2022.

One of those victories, in 2014, was shared with Japan, who have three titles to their name, having triumphed in 2011 and 2019 as well.

The Junior All Blacks won all three editions they participated in between 2006-09, while New Zealand Māori claimed the title when they competed in the Pacific Nations Cup in 2008.