Pacific teams on course for 2011 and beyond

Excellent results by the Pacific Island teams in Europe in November have confirmed they are on track for RWC 2011...

Fiji, Samoa and Tonga all completed excellent European tours which have set up some mouth-watering RWC 2011 clashes. Tonga beat Italy A and a French Barbarians team featuring a host of international stars. Fiji’s tour was highlighted by a 16-all draw with RWC 2011 Pool D rivals Wales while Samoa’s extended tour started by beating Japan in Tokyo before falling narrowly to Ireland, England and Scotland.

This capped a memorable year for Samoan Rugby with a first ever series title in the IRB Sevens World Series followed by adding the 2010 ANZ Pacific Nations Cup title to the trophy cabinet.

Progress off the field in Samoa has mirrored recent results on it. Earlier this month the construction of the Samoa Rugby Union’s (SRU) High Performance Facility started at Faleata with a special ground-breaking ceremony.

The state-of-the-art facility will feature a High Performance gym, recovery and rehabilitation centre, four new training pitches, accommodation for up to 90 athletes and a dedicated administration centre for SRU staff. Construction is expected to be completed well ahead of Samoa’s RWC 2011 preparation camp in August.

The project is underwritten by IRB funding through strategic investments aimed at increasing the competitiveness of the global Game. The IRB has contributed over $2 million to the project, which has been made possible through the donation of 36 hectares of land by the Samoan Government.

Fiji’s draw in Cardiff reminded everyone how close Pool D will be next year. With the World Champions South Africa joining Wales, Fiji and Samoa, the group features four of the top 11 teams in the current IRB World Rankings. Namibia completes the group having qualified as Africa 1.

The Pacific Nations Cup (PNC) provides a competitive annual competition for the Pacific Island teams. Fiji and Samoa will use the 2011 tournament to fine tune preparations for Pool D while Tonga and Japan will seek a competitive edge ahead of their clash in RWC 2011 Pool A, a pool also including New Zealand, France and Canada.

Japan will host the sixth IRB Pacific Nations Cup in 2011 between July 2-13, with all matches being held at Tokyo’s Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground. The tournament also provides another valuable step in Japan’s preparations to host an outstanding RWC 2019, following the exceptional 2010 IRB Junior World Championship in the same city. With half of the PNC matches this year being decided by less than three points it promises to be an intriguing guide to RWC 2011 form.