The Rugby Cup: Please Don't Forget About the Pacific Islands

The Autumn Internationals have concluded, and it was the first time that all three Pacific Nations had toured, been involved, and played consistent top level rugby against major nations outside of a World Cup.

Two or three times since the turn of the century, the Islands have toured the North, but it has not been a consistent affair.

As a consequence, the nations struggle to continually develop.  Since 2000 Samoa has played 61 games, Fiji has played 62 and Tonga has played 57.  It is a solid number of matches, but half that of any major test nation's.  The lack of consistency and structure to their test seasons are hurting them in long term.

Also, it is not as attractive to tour the countries themselves.

Samoa has a population of less than 200,000, and a GDP—according to the International Monetary Fund—of approximately 500 million.  Fiji has nearly 900,000 people with a GDP of over 3.5 billion.  Tonga has just over 100,000 people with a GDP of little over 250 million. 

These are numbers that do not represent the big money that is now part and parcel of the rugby touring landscape.  Why would the big tier one nations tour the Pacific Islands when far more hype, crowds, media exposure, and pay checks come when playing at a Twickenham, or taking the product into developing rugby markets—but mature economical markets—like Tokyo or Hong Kong.

This is why the money and funding from the IRB is crucial to their survival.

The implementation of strategic programmes such as the Pacific Rugby Cup and Pacific Nations Cup are helping.

The Rugby Cup features representative teams from each of the three Island nations, but it is more fitting to call them “composite” teams.  Samoa fields Upolu Samoa and Savaii Samoa, Fiji has the Fiji Warriors and Fiji Barbarians, and Tonga has the Tau-uta Reds and Tautahi Gold.

This is a promising competition, with each team playing five matches throughout April and May.  It gives local players a chance to play in more meaningful competition.

But it is not the answer.

All players are drawn from local domestic competitions.  The cream of the Island talent players is overseas; some in the South, but most are drawn to the big money in Europe. 

Some believe that the Islands are pillaged by countries such as New Zealand and Australia, but this is not really true.  Most Pacific Islanders who do turn out to play for Tier one nations have lived in their “adopted countries” for some time, and are products of the local systems.

It is the lack of top level and regular competition in the Islands that hurts the sides most of all.  But it is almost impossible to fix.  The best solution moving forward is either to have teams (either full international Pacific Island sides or Pacific Rugby Cup teams as above) enter a top level competition such as the Super 14.

But again the spectre of money raises its head, with the money from sponsorship and broadcasting from these countries unlikely to attract the capital needed to sustain these sides.

These “handicaps” spill onto the national teams.

They do not have the luxury of calling their players into regular camps, and often draw their representatives from all over the globe.  Pacific Island coaches and selectors do not have the resources or time with their elite players that other nations do, and the Islands consistently have issues with the clubs that have more overall rights to their players than the nations do themselves—if not more money.

The Pacific Nations Cup is giving the test sides regular and meaningful competition, but the comparative strength of the teams—the Junior All Blacks or Maori aside—are all of a second to third tier level, and while it is a good start, it is not flooding the Islands with the quantity or quality of rugby they require to become and/or remain strong.

Radical ideas have had some merit, but not produced the results required.

PIRA (The Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance) was formed and created the Pacific Islanders team, very much a South Pacific version of the Lions.

But it had too many cons, primary being that the assembly of the team actually inhibited the development of the individual test nations.  The group is essentially now a non entity, as Samoa has quit the Alliance.

Much depends on extra money coming in, or a top level side making some level of financial sacrifice to play the teams.

A tier one touring side from the Tri or Six Nations could play all three Islands in a tour, but much depends on what occurs in the following years with re-structuring of the SANZAR competitions within the Super 14 and Tri Nations.

The World Cups are the only time we get to see the full potential of the Islanders come to bloom, somewhat paradoxical as the money generated from these tournaments are what helps the countries develop their rugby.

But a diamond in the rough sits quietly, far too dormant for such a great resource to be.

As the game grows, let us hope that the Pacific Islands are forefront in the administrator’s minds.