Flying Fijians head coach Mick Byrne is expecting a tougher Pacific Nations Cup (PNC) series this year, with the event doubling as a qualifier for the 2027 Rugby World Cup (RWC). The Fijians will defend their PNC title against Tonga and Samoa in the round-robin Pacific zone matches, before travelling to the United States to compete in the play-offs against the Eagles, Canada and Japan. While Fiji and Japan are already confirmed for the 2027 RWC in Australia, the other four teams will be competing for the three Oceania spots available during the PNC. Byrne said that will add a lot more excitement to the competition, which kicks off on 23 August. “It’s added another dimension to the PNC. We know that Moana Pasifika have had a great Super Rugby season, and there will be a number of their players that will have benefited from another season of Super Rugby when they move into the Tonga and Samoa teams during during our round-robin games. “It just means that what we expect from our Pacific Island neighbours around physicality is going to be there, and we know that they’ll be desperate for their victories, and it’s going to make for some really entertaining rugby. “With [RWC] qualifying spots on the line, it means everybody’s going to be at their best and we just got to be ready for that” Samoa and Tonga will kick off the Pacific zone meet on on 23 August in Nuku’alofa, while in the Asia zone, Canada and USA will tussle on the same day in Calgary. Fiji gets into action on 30 August in Suva against Tonga, with Japan and Canada tussling in Sendai in round two. The third round will see Fiji taking on Manu Samoa in Rotorua on 6 September, while USA and Japan will clash in California on 7 September in the final round-robin game. The winner of the Pacific pool will get to meet the runner-up from the Asia pool, while the winner of the Asia pool will take on the runner-up in the Pacific pool in the semi-finals, scheduled for 15 September. The two bottom teams from each zone will meet for fifth and sixth place. With Fiji and Japan out of the World Cup qualification equation, it means the top three placed teams from Canada, Samoa, Tonga and USA will get to fly to Australia. With a number of their players unavailable with club commitments in New Zealand, France and Japan, all three Pasifika teams have opted for some fresh faces. Both Manu Samoa head coach Lemalu Tusiata Pisi and the ‘Ikale Tahi mentor Tevita Tuifua have shown their concerns with the unavailability of some key players. But both agreed it was an opportune time to give new players the chance to play for their national teams. Pisi, who saw his team take on Scotland in early July, said the current set of players had raised their hands to represent Samoa, and his focus was on them, rather than on those who have made themselves unavailable. He said after their loss to Scotland in Auckland, the team will only get better, adding he was happy with the potential he saw. Pisi said they were better off and would only get better moving forward, with their next game being their first PNC clash against Tonga at Nuku’alofa on 23 August. “Look, we had eight days to prepare and, obviously, there’s probably habits in our game from lack of playing time that we didn’t get to execute today,” he said. “At the end of the day, it’s a starting point for us moving forward to the qualifiers. “I’m really proud of the effort from the boys, but I’m sure they know too that those little habits in our game, in their game and our game, we just can’t have those lapses in international rugby.” Tonga’s Tuifua said it was the same with them, but it was great opportunity to continue building their player depth. “The players have families also to look after and we don’t want to force them into coming to play,” he said. “We are happy with the players we have and look forward to the PNC, which is very important for us as it will be also be the qualifier for the world cup.” Tonga take on Queensland Reds in a warm-up game at Teufaiva Stadium this weekend. Byrne agrees said the Fijian squad selection has been made with an eye on the RWC. “The PNC gives us a great opportunity to, you know, to work with our with our depth moving forward,” Byrne said. “We’ve got a lot of good players that miss out in July and, you know, with the situation with some of our Northern Hemisphere players changing and starting at new clubs, and we respect the relationships that they have, and then they’re building their relationships with new clubs. “It’s an opportunity for us to bring in some younger players and bring them in and build our depth towards the World Cup in 2027.” But all three teams also have some experienced hands in their mix. Samoa has captain Theo MacFarland, Michae Alaalatoa, Samuela Slade, Taleni Seu, Meilani Matavao, Duncan Paia’aua, Henry Taefu and Alai D’angelo Leuila as some of the experienced hands in the squad. Big Ben Tameifuna, Charles Piutau, Siegfried Fisi’ihoi, Lotu Anisi, Taniela Filimone, William Havili and Lotu Inisi add some leadership and experience to the ‘Ikale Tahi camp. Fiji has former All Black Seta Tamanivalu, Semi Radradra, Viliame Mata and captain Tevita Ikanivere. “They’ll be great experience for our squad, and they’ll be good examples of for some of our younger players,” Byrne said of his experienced hands. “They will be helping players with some decision making on the field and through our training sessions, just working with players and helping them understand the work that’s needed.” Both Samoa and Tonga have been in camp as they build-up to their PNC opener. The Fijians will get together in Suva at the weekend and begin their camp then. “The squad will come in on Saturday,” Byrne said. “The first weekend of the PNC is our bye weekend, and we’re going to make use of that week to have a great training week with no game at the end, where we can really work on our systems.” Byrne said one of the disadvantages for the Pacific island teams is the fact that majority of their top players are playing club rugby outside of their countries. Fiji, for example, has players playing in 11 different competitions around the globe. Samoa and Tonga have a similar set-up as well. While this helps players develop and brings income to players and their families, the challenge for the island unions is bringing the players together when needed, with some missing out because of club commitments. “One of the challenges that we have, is a lot of our good players are playing overseas,” he stated. “New Zealand, Australia, England, Scotland and France have all their players who are local players. South Africa have got a lot of players overseas, but they play in the Rugby Championship and get their players released.” Byrne said the PNC is also within the approved World Cup international windows, which means players needed for national duties should be released by their respective clubs, as per World Rugby’s ‘Regulation 9’ Law. World Rugby Regulation 9 addresses player release for international duty, ensuring national unions have the right to select players for their national representative teams. It also outlines the conditions under which a player must be released by their club or other rugby body to represent their country, including preparation periods and training sessions. “We’re in the same window as the rugby championship, so it’s a recognized World Rugby window,” Byrne said. But he adds he and the Flying Fijians management are also conscious of the fact that players are forging relationships with overseas clubs. “I haven’t called on any ‘Regulation 9’ situations at this stage, but obviously, if we get to a point where we need our players then we’ll call on it, but I’m really respectful of looking at the relationship between the player and the club and the player and us,” he added. On the same token, Byrne said he was also happy to see alot of the local players now involved with club rugby in Australia and New Zealand. He said there’s not a lot of rugby when Super Rugby finishes, and seeing players from Fiji, Samoa and Tonga involved in the Australian and New Zealand competitions was positive. “If the players are developing their game in either Australia or New Zealand, that’s good and and then with the Flying Fijians coming up, now, we call on players who have been playing rugby, so it’s a good thing for us as well. “But the big the big winners are our players and they are getting exposed to another level of rugby and playing more footy. And some of our Drua players that may not have got a lot of rugby during the Super season get a little bit more rugby.” A number of Fiji, Samoa and Tonga internationals currently play in the National Provincial Championship (NPC) in New Zealand, while others are playing in the New South Wales Shute Shield and Queensland Hospital Cup competitions….PACNEWS FIJI – RUGBY: FBC SPORTS PACNEWS SPORT: Thu 14 Aug 2025