Fiji was poised to beat the Wallabies but a last-minute try from captain Harry Wilson saved the day, securing Australia a 21-18 win. The prime ministers posed for photos just before kick-off, with each of them donning scarves for their respective teams. But as much as the match was a friendly sporting rivalry between neighbours, it played out against a backdrop of Pacific politics shaped by an increasingly aggressive China. The Albanese government has pumped billions into countering Chinese influence in the region – an endeavour to which Fiji is key. Little more than an hour after the match, Defence Industry and Pacific Affairs Minister Pat Conroy announced Australia and Fiji were “taking steps to formally elevate and deepen the Vuvale Partnership as we work together to ensure a peaceful, stable and prosperous Pacific”. Among the key elements outlined were supporting Fiji roll out its new national security strategy and boosting Australian development assistance by $40m over four years. The latest cash commitment put Australia’s total assistance to Fiji at $500m from 2025 to 2029. Other key elements included more Australian Federal Police officers embedded in Fiji’s police force and tightening up border security at the country’s major ports. “During Fiji Prime Minister Sitveni Rabuka’s visit to Australia, we affirmed our support for Prime Minister Rabuka’s vision for an ‘Ocean of Peace’ including family first Pacific regionalism and Pacific-led solutions to Pacific challenges,” Mr Conroy said in a statement. While defence and security have been top-of-mind, the Albanese government has also prioritised people-to-people links with Australia’s “Pacific family”. Speaking to Newcastle radio on Saturday, Mr Albanese spruiked the match as doing just that. “It is really important to recognise that relationships between nations essentially comes down to relationships between people,” he told the ABC. “And that’s why we unapologetically have provided support to support rugby in the region. “That includes support that Australia has provided of $10 million over seven years for the Fijian Drua women and men to participate in those Super Rugby Pacific and Australia Super W competitions.” He noted Mr Rabuka “timed his visit to Australia” to coincide with the rugby test. “It is a great way in which our nations can show our commonality,” Mr Albanese said. “We are all members of the Pacific family.” Speaking in Canberra on Wednesday, Mr Rabuka vowed to fight Chinese efforts to set up a base in the Pacific for as “long as I’m Prime Minister”. “There is really no need for them to set up any other bases in the Pacific,” he told the National Press Club. “If they want to come, who would welcome them? Not Fiji.”