2025 World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup

2025 World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup

Tournament details
Host	USA (Finals)
Dates	23 August – 20 September 2025
Teams	Canada Fiji Japan Samoa Tonga United States
← 2024 2026 →

2027 Rugby World Cup – Pacific qualification

Tournament details
Dates	23 August 2025 – 20 September 2025
No. of nations	4
← 2023

The 2025 World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup will be the seventeenth Pacific Nations Cup (PNC) tournament and will mirror the new format that was launched in 2024.

Unlike in 2024, the finals series will be hosted in the United States.

World Cup qualification

Main article: 2027 Men's Rugby World Cup qualifying

The 2025 edition will also double up as the Pacific (Americas North, Oceania and Japan) qualifying process for the 2027 Men's Rugby World Cup, with the top three teams (outside of Fiji and Japan who have already qualified) qualifying for the Rugby World Cup as Pacific 1, 2 and 3. The remaining sixth team in the competition will have two further opportunities to qualify. Initially, they will advance as Pacific 4 to a Sudamérica / Pacific play-off match against Sudamérica 2, for a chance to qualify for the World Cup as the Sudamérica / Pacific play-off winner. The loser of that match will advance to the Final Qualification Tournament along with Belgium (as Europe 5), Namibia (Africa 2), and Sudamérica 3.

Participants

Nation	Rank	Began play	2027 RWC Qualifying status
Canada	25	22 August 2025
Fiji	9	N/A	Qualified with Top 12 finish at 2023 World Cup
Japan	14	N/A	Qualified with Top 12 finish at 2023 World Cup
Samoa	13	23 August 2025
Tonga	19	23 August 2025
United States	16	22 August 2025

Pool stage

The Pool stage effectively divides the six teams in two zones, a Southern Hemisphere Pacific islands group featuring traditional rivals Fiji, Samoa and Tonga, and a Northern Hemisphere North Pacific Rim group containing North American rivals Canada and the United States, along with Japan. Each plays plays in effect a single round robin within its zone, with the top two teams in each zone moving on to playoff semifinals which are interzonal. The third placed team in each group also plays an internzonal placement tie to decide 5th and 6th.

Pool A

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	TB	LB	Pts
1	Fiji	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2	Samoa	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
3	Tonga	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

First match(es) will be played: 23 August 2025. Source:

23 August 2025 15:00 TOT (UTC+13)

Tonga	v	Samoa

Teufaiva Sport Stadium, Nukuʻalofa Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)

---

30 August 2025 15:00 FJT (UTC+12)

Fiji	v	Tonga

HFC Bank Stadium, Suva Referee: Karl Dickson (England)

---

6 September 2025 15:00 NZST (UTC+12)

Samoa	v	Fiji

Rotorua International Stadium, Rotorua, New Zealand Referee: Takehito Namekawa (Japan)

Pool B

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	TB	LB	Pts
1	Canada	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2	Japan	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
3	United States	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

First match(es) will be played: 22 August 2025. Source:

22 August 2025 19:00 MDT (UTC-6)

Canada	v	United States

McMahon Stadium, Calgary Referee: Luke Pearce (England)

---

30 August 2025 17:00 JST (UTC+9)

Japan	v	Canada

Yurtec Stadium, Sendai Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand)

---

6 September 2025 18:00 PDT (UTC-7)

United States	v	Japan

Heart Health Park, Sacramento Referee: Craig Evans (Wales)

Finals series

Bracket

	Semi-finals				Grand Final
	14 September – Denver
	Pool A Winner
					20 September – Salt Lake City
	Pool B Runners-up
	14 September – Denver
	Pool B Winner
	Pool A Runners-up
					Bronze Final
					20 September – Salt Lake City

Fifth-place play-off

14 September 2025

Pool A third-placed team	v	Pool B third-placed team

Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Denver Referee: Damian Schneider (Argentina)

Semi-finals

14 September 2025

Pool A Winner	v	Pool B Runners-up

Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Denver Referee: Eoghan Cross (Ireland)

---

14 September 2025

Pool B Winner	v	Pool A Runners-up

Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Denver Referee: Luc Ramos (France)

Bronze Final

20 September 2025

	v

America First Field, Salt Lake City Referee: Luc Ramos (France)

Grand Final

20 September 2025

	v

America First Field, Salt Lake City Referee: Damian Schneider (Argentina)

Final standings

Pos.	Team	2027 RWC / WRNC Division 2 qualification
1	TBC	Qualified
2	TBC	Qualified
3	TBC	Qualified
4	TBC	Qualified
5	TBC	Qualified
6	TBC	Advances to South America / Pacific play off (Unless Japan or Fiji finishes in this position)

Participants

Team	Stadium			Coach	Captain	World Rugby Ranking
	Home stadium	Capacity	Location			Start	End
Canada	McMahon Stadium	35,400	Calgary	Steve Meehan		TBD	TBD
Fiji	HFC Bank Stadium	15,000	Suva	Mick Byrne		TBD	TBD
Japan	Yurtec Stadium Sendai	19,134	Sendai	Eddie Jones		TBD	TBD
Samoa	Rotorua International Stadium	26,000	Rotorua, New Zealand	Tusi Pisi		TBD	TBD
Tonga	Teufaiva Sport Stadium	10,000	Nukuʻalofa	Tevita Tuʻifua		TBD	TBD
United States	Heart Health Park	11,569	Sacramento	Scott Lawrence		TBD	TBD
Finals series played in USA
Semi-finals / Fifth-place play-off	Dick's Sporting Goods Park	18,061	Denver	—
Grand Final / Bronze Final	America First Field	20,213	Salt Lake City

See also

• 2027 Men's Rugby World Cup qualifying
• 2027 Men's Rugby World Cup – Regional play-off and Final Qualification Tournament
• 2025 mid-year rugby union tests

External links

• Pacific Nations Cup web page at World Rugby