Tournament tests health of Pacific Rugby

The state of rugby in the sport's most important development region will be measured beginning Saturday when teams from Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the Pacific Islands compete in the Pacific Nations Cup.

The performances of Fiji and Tonga at the 2007 World Cup in France and recent credible performances by Japan suggest rugby in the region, now heavily funded by the International Rugby Board, is in good health.

Its development will be more closely monitored over the next six weeks as Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Japan, Australia A and the New Zealand Maori crisscross the Pacific in pursuit of the regional test championship.

The most recent evidence suggests Pacific rugby is strong and growing stronger. Fiji reached the quarterfinals at the last Rugby World Cup, the same level as Australia and New Zealand. Tonga performed almost equally well, beating Samoa and fully stretching England and South Africa in pool play.

New Zealand and Australia went out of the Cup in the quarterfinals and this year's Pacific Nations Cup will focus attention on some of the next generation of players who will represent those nations in the 2011 tournament in New Zealand.

Fiji has already stated its determination to use the Pacific Nations Cup to consolidate advances made last year.

"We want to be the dominant force in the Pacific and beat Samoa and Tonga consistently," Fiji high performance manager Peter Murphy said. "The lure of test matches is also part of the plan as overseas teams will only want to play the best."

Fiji veteran Mosese Rauluni said it was essential Fiji did not fall back from the standard it reached in France.

"We've all agreed that the standard at the World Cup is the benchmark for us to meet and we cannot accept anything else," he said. "We know how we can play and need to keep playing that way."

Fiji opens its campaign against Samoa in Lautoka on Saturday with a team which features 17 players from the World Cup campaign.

Japan coach John Kirwan hopes the Pacific Nations Cup will see Japan match its Pacific rivals and will focus attention on the need to develop the game in Asia.

"At the moment Japan are 16th in the world. Next we want to get to 11 and then to No. 8. Our goal is Tonga, Fiji and Samoa and then to keep working," Kirwan said.

The New Zealand Maori squad includes former All Blacks Daniel Braid and Jason Eaton and players almost certainly destined for All Blacks selection, among them Canterbury Crusaders utility back Stephen Brett.

"Our Pacific Island rivals are very passionate about their rugby. Japan continues to improve on the international stage and we know Australia A will be a tough team," Maori coach Donny Stevenson said.

Australia A, under coach Phil Mooney, also has a smattering of players with test experience but contains a core of players new Wallabies coach Robbie Deans will develop over the next four years.

Among them is prop Jerry Yanuyanutawa who was recently included in a wider Fiji squad but has given his allegiance to Australia.

In other matches on the weekend, New Zealand Maori host Tonga at Albany and Australia A travels to Tokyo to play Japan.