All three Pacific Island rugby teams heading to the Rugby World Cup 2027 share one clear message: the next two years will make or break their chances in Australia. After last Wednesday’s official pool draw, Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga all agreed that only serious, unified preparation will give them any real hope of making an impact on the game’s biggest stage.
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For them, the formula is simple, even if the execution is not. They need to gather the best available players, expose them to high-level competition, and ensure every part of their preparation is operating at full commitment or as they put it, 101 per cent. That means a complete, collective effort that involves not only players and coaches but everyone connected to their rugby programs.
Tonga’s ‘Ikale Tahi head coach, Tevita Tuifu’a, explained to RNZ Pacific that when he says all investors, he genuinely means everyone from the people and government to the national unions, officials, and the squad. In his words, everyone must be on the same plan, same focus, same mind 101 per cent. If we do not get our own house in order first.
Then it will be useless because down the line, something is going to give, and we will not be able to achieve what we want to. His message is blunt, but it resonates strongly across the Pacific. Skill, he says, is now the non-negotiable standard. Despite the challenges, the initial reactions from Tuifu’a, Manu Samoa coach Lemalu Tusiata Pisi,
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Rugby World Cup Pools Set: Pacific Nations Ready for Big Challenge
Fiji’s head coach, Mick Byrne, was optimistic. All three believe their pool draws give them a realistic chance of reaching the Round of 16, a new addition to the Rugby World Cup structure for 2027. Match schedules will not be confirmed until 3 February 2026, but the teams now know who awaits them in pool play. Fiji will compete in Pool C against Argentina, Canada, and Spain.
Samoa has been placed in Pool E alongside France, Japan, and the United States. Tonga faces a tough assignment in Pool F with England, Wales, and Zimbabwe. Elsewhere, New Zealand, Australia, Chile, and Hong Kong China make up Pool A. Pool B features South Africa, Italy, Georgia, and Romania, while Pool D contains Ireland, Scotland, Uruguay, and Portugal.
Looking ahead, Fiji will play in the new Nations Championship beginning in 2026, with fixtures scheduled in both July and November. They will join Japan and several Tier 1 nations from both hemispheres. Samoa and Tonga, meanwhile, will compete in the expanded World Rugby Nations Cup, joining Canada, Chile, Georgia, Hong Kong, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Uruguay, the USA, and Zimbabwe.
All Pacific teams will also have additional Test matches in 2027. Including the Pacific Nations Cup, which will serve as their final preparation before the Rugby World Cup kicks off on 1 October in Perth. Samoa coach Lemalu Tusiata Pisi said in a World Rugby interview that France, Japan, and the USA all bring strong rugby histories and solid World Cup experience.
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Rugby World Cup Final: Pisi Warns: Big Names Won’t Fix Samoa’s Problems
But Samoa has its own ambitions. Manu Samoa has reached the quarterfinals twice before, and Pisi has set the goal of making the knockout rounds again. The knockout stage, at the very least, absolutely, he said. And once you get to the knockouts, anything can happen. For Samoa, the rebuilding process begins immediately.
Player availability will be crucial, especially after a difficult 2024–25 cycle in which many players needed were unavailable. Samoa became the 24th and final team to qualify for the 2027 Rugby World Cup Final, but only after navigating three separate qualifying events. Rumours that former England centre Manu Tuilagi may be eligible to represent Samoa in 2027 have generated excitement.
But Pisi, himself a former Manu Samoa captain, was careful not to get carried away. He emphasised that big names alone will not solve their problems. What he wants most are consistent players, men willing to sacrifice for the team and the nation. He also noted that both Japan and the USA, the teams Samoa will face in Pool E, have shown real improvement.
Samoa has played them repeatedly in the Pacific Nations Cup in recent years, and Pisi expects both sides to be strong, fast, and well-prepared. For Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga, the message is the same: the 2027 Rugby World Cup Final will reward only the teams that prepare with total commitment, unity, and professionalism. And for all three Pacific nations, that work starts now.
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