The 2023 rugby league season will be wrapped off by the inaugural Pacific Championships, which will be played over the course of four weeks in three different nations.
In the men’s tournament, which begins on Saturday in Townsville, world champions Australia will compete alongside New Zealand, Toa Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, and Papua New Guinea. In the women’s tournament, Australia will compete alongside the Kiwi Ferns, Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, and Cook Islands.
The Pacific Championships are what?
The Pacific Championships is a long-term strategy for the ARLC with the goals of promoting the elite international game during a specific window, increasing equity during the thrilling time following the Grand Final, increasing cultural competency among our fans and in our game, and motivating players to represent their home countries.
The first Pacific Championships with seven competing nations split into two pools for both men’s and women’s matches will take place in 2023.
The three highest-ranked nations compete in the men’s Pacific Cup, while the three lowest-ranked nations compete in the men’s Pacific Bowl.
The top two rated teams advance to the corresponding Final in the men’s Cup and Bowl championships after playing each other once.
The composition of the Pacific Cup and Bowl will alter yearly based on international rankings, providing teams in the Pacific Bowl the chance to move up to the Pacific Cup and persuading the higher-ranked teams to keep their spots.
The Jillaroos and Kiwi Ferns face each other twice a year for the first two years of the women’s Pacific Cup competition, with an alternate Pacific nation playing in the third match. That match is between the Kiwi Ferns and Tonga in 2023.
In order to improve the competitiveness of women’s fixtures through more opportunities, the women’s Pacific Bowl competition will feature two Test matches in 2023.
Australia, New Zealand, and Samoa will compete in the Men’s Pacific Cup final on Saturday, November 4, at Hamilton’s FMG Stadium Waikato. On Sunday, November 5 at Santos National Football Stadium in Port Moresby, one of PNG, the Cook Islands, or Fiji will play in the Men’s Pacific Bowl championship game.
The women’s Pacific Cup and Pacific Bowl events do not include a championship round.
