The National Rugby League and the Albanese Government are collaborating to create the new Rugby League Pacific Championships. Men’s and women’s teams from Australia, the Cook Islands, Fiji, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, and Tonga will compete in the inaugural Pacific Championships.
The southern hemisphere countries participated in the first-ever Pacific Championships, which were held in Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea between October and November.
Six male teams including the three host nations mentioned above competed in the first Pacific Championships and were divided into two pools of three. The first of those consisted of Australia, Samoa and New Zealand. while the second pool included Fiji, the Cook Islands, and Papua New Guinea.
Pacific Championships pools
| Pool A | Australia, New Zealand, Tonga, Samoa |
| Pool B | PNG, Fiji, Cook Islands |
Week One – October 14-15
Australia v Samoa (men) at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville
Australia v New Zealand (women) at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville
PNG v Cook Islands (men) at Santos Stadium, Port Moresby
Samoa v Fiji (women) at Santos Stadium, Port Moresby
Week Two – October 21-22
New Zealand v Samoa (men) at Eden Park, Auckland
New Zealand v Tonga (women) at Eden Park, Auckland
Fiji v Cook Islands (men) at Santos Stadium, Port Moresby
PNG v Cook Islands (women) at Santos Stadium, Port Moresby
Week Three – October 28-29
Australia v New Zealand (men) at AAMI Park, Melbourne
Australia v New Zealand (women) at AAMI Park, Melbourne
PNG v Fiji (men) at Santos Stadium, Port Moresby
Week Four – November 4-5
The final of the men’s Pacific Cup tournament between Australia and New Zealand took place on November 4 in Hamilton, New Zealand.
The final of the men’s Pacific Bowl tournament between Papua New Guinea and Fiji was held on November 5 at Santos Stadium, Port Moresby.
2023 Pacific Championships schedule and results
| DATE | MATCH | LOCATION | TIME (AEDT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, 14 October | Australia 38 def. Samoa 12 | Townsville | 8:10 pm |
| Sun, 15 October | PNG 46 def. Cook Islands 10 | Port Moresby | 4:00 pm |
| Sat, 21 October | New Zealand 50 def. Samoa 0 | Auckland | 4:00 pm |
| Sun, 22 October | Fiji 22 def. Cook Islands 18 | Port Moresby | 4:00 pm |
| Sat, 28 October | Australia 36 def. New Zealand 18 | Melbourne | 8:10 pm |
| Sun, 29 October | Fiji 43 def. PNG 16 | Port Moresby | 4:00 pm |
| Pool A final | New Zealand 30 def. Australia 0 | Hamilton | 2:00 pm |
| Pool B final | PNG v Fiji | Port Moresby | 3:00 pm |