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Les amateurs de rugby peuvent d’ores et déjà noter les dates de la Pacific Nations Cup, une compétition masculine annuelle passionnante qui se déroulera sur cinq week-ends pendant la fenêtre internationale de l’hémisphère sud (du 23 août au 21 septembre).
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Organisée par World Rugby en partenariat avec les six fédérations (Canada, Fidji, Japon, Samoa, Tonga et États-Unis), la compétition est destinée à renforcer le niveau du rugby international et à s’intégrer dans un nouveau calendrier annuel visant à harmoniser les performances mondiales en vue d’une Coupe du Monde de Rugby masculine élargie en 2027 en Australie.
Instaurant une compétition annuelle et des rivalités similaires à celles observées dans le Tournoi des Six Nations et le Rugby Championship, le tournoi se directement lié aux compétitions internationales à deux divisions qui seront lancées en 2026. Cela garantira un nombre inédit de rencontres et d’opportunités pour les six nations participantes, renforçant ainsi leur expérience du plus haut niveau et optimisant à la fois l’engagement avec les supporters et les retombées commerciales.
SIX ÉQUIPES, CINQ WEEK-ENDS, DEUX POULES, UN VAINQUEUR
Deux poules régionales de trois équipes ont été constituées pour optimiser la récupération des joueurs, réduire aussi bien la fatigue des déplacements longue distance que les émissions de CO2 de la compétition, conformément à la Stratégie Environnementale de World Rugby à l’horizon 2030. Chaque équipe est assurée de disputer au moins trois confrontations dans la compétition, avec un minimum d’un match à domicile, ce qui offre aux fédérations participantes l’opportunité de commercialiser les rencontres et par conséquent d’accroître leur audience.
Les Fidji, les Samoa et les Tonga composent la poule A et s’affronteront dans des matchs à domicile ou à l’extérieur. Cela représente une augmentation significative du nombre de tests organisés dans les îles du Pacifique. Ainsi, les Tonga accueilleront plus de matchs à domicile de la Pacific Nations Cup au cours des quatre prochaines années qu’ils n’en ont accueillis dans toutes les compétitions au cours de la dernière décennie. De l’autre côté de l’océan Pacifique, le Canada, le Japon et les États-Unis s’affronteront également dans un format « round robin » où chaque équipe rencontrera tous les adversaires pour s’emparer des deux premières places de la poule B.
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LES PHASES FINALES ORGANISÉES ALTERNATIVEMENT AU JAPON ET AUX ÉTATS-UNIS
La Pacific Nations Cup se terminera par une phase finale pour désigner le seul et unique vainqueur. Celle-ci se déroulera au Japon et aux États-Unis (en alternance), deux territoires d’une importance stratégique pour l’avenir du rugby. Pour la première édition au Japon, les six équipes se rendront à Tokyo pour disputer soit le match pour la cinquième place, soit les demi-finales entre les premiers et deuxièmes de poule, les 14 et 15 septembre.
Le match pour la troisième place et la finale seront organisés à Osaka une semaine plus tard, le 21 septembre, pour couronner le champion de la Pacific Nations Cup 2024, une perspective passionnante pour les amateurs de rugby du monde entier.
Simon Raiwalui, responsable des parcours de haute performance et du développement des joueurs à World Rugby, a déclaré : « Nous sommes très fiers et impatients de lancer la Pacific Nations Cup revisitée cette année, avec une marque dynamique et un calendrier de rencontres optimisé. Les six équipes participant à la compétition bénéficieront d’une garantie sur le long terme de disputer des matchs de haut niveau, ce qui leur permettra d’optimiser leur préparation et d’engager leurs supporters et partenaires en amont.
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« Avec autant de talent dans les îles du Pacifique, au Japon et au sein des deux équipes d’Amérique du Nord, les supporters peuvent s’attendre à une compétition difficile et à un grand spectacle, dont les phases finales au Japon seront l’apothéose. »
La Pacific Nations Cup 2024 pourra être regardée partout dans le monde, soit par l’intermédiaire d’un partenaire de diffusion local, soit sur RugbyPass TV. Les heures de coup d’envoi, les stades et les modalités de diffusion seront communiqués ultérieurement.
Comments on RugbyPass
Late growth spurts are a common problem over here. I’m well over 30, and I just started having a growth spurt too. Could be a world class prop soon.
1 Go to commentsas much as the challenge cup is a bit of a nothing competition, winning it would still mean something. last year it was won by toulon, who are now something like 4th in the top 14? The year before it was won by Lyon a season before they finished 3rd in the league. The year before that the final was contested by Montpellier and Leicester - 12 months before they both became domestic champions. That should give Gloucester fans some hope.
1 Go to commentsgreat article - although I can’t help wonder whether the more relevant debate over coming years will be between Ford and Fin Smith!
1 Go to commentsMaking Scott Barrett captain might be a masterstroke….will calm him down & stop brain fades and also take pressure off Ardie, so he can just play his natural monster game. Lets see how that all pans out🧐
8 Go to commentsI’m surprised Scotland are planning to rest key players this summer - I don’t think any other tier 1 nation will be doing the same?
2 Go to commentsGreat analysis Brett and what a shame that RA haven't spent more on the tight five instead. BTW I see the latest 8-9 Combo has dropped, looking forward to that. It's incredible the amount of damage that Hamish and Eddie's egos did in such a short space of time. From memory Eddie drove the initial drive to poach league stars way back in the 00s, with community rugby paying the price in reduced funding. Australia went from 15% of its income being spent on community rugby in 2002 to 2.4% in 2015, sheer madness and look where they are now. Hamish reminds me of Scrappy Doo. Always mouthing off, spoiling for a fight with bigger dogs who'd eat him alive. Sadly RA didn't have a Scooby Doo to bail him out.
10 Go to comments*_“I love watching bone-shuddering tackles, brutal clear-outs, monster ball carries, and crushingly intense scrummaging. I love it. These things make my heart rate spike. These aren’t the only things I love about rugby, but I feel no need to pretend I don’t love them, or to apologise for loving them just in case someone thinks I shouldn’t.”_* beautifully put Flats🔥
3 Go to comments“Hidden comments” all over the place😂 Turlough’s been a busy little boy ey🤭
79 Go to commentsit’ll all be released in an autobiography a few years from now….. “Razor shafted me” blah blah blah. thinking of making Scott Barrett captain might be a good move. Could calm down his brain fades & make him an even better player for them
3 Go to commentsSadly he played far too many games too young. England and France really do need to look after their younger players better.
1 Go to commentsHaving finally been able to watch the first Chasing the Sun (thanks RugbyPass!) - because I refuse to pay DSTV's extortionate monthly fee in SA - after four years, it was amazing to see Mapimpi's story as well as seeing my personal hero, Rassie, breaking down when telling it. There _is_ hope for the country, but only once we've got rid of the crooked and incompetent ANC (and others) who have set out to destroy it. Viva Rassie, viva Kolisi viva rugby!
1 Go to commentsWhether true or not, all the best to you Sam Cane. A warrior of a player and a loyal servant to the ABs! Go get you some yen and have some fun.
3 Go to commentsThe game was changing too much with teams trying to role the dice drawing fouls. Would be better if scrums and the adjudicating problems were resolved but this is a good immediate fix.
42 Go to commentsLike many here I am encouraged by this post. Our forwards are where the real rewards and improvements must come from. With a 50/50 pack against any opposition, our backs could ensure more than 50% of the games will be won. We need Valetini at 6 and Cale at 8 to make the most or a good tight 5, McWright will add to the effectiveness of the pack BUT must get a very good tight 5 out there first.
118 Go to commentsThe key point I think that is missing is that if Joseph wants to guarantee a Lions spot, he really has to play wing in his first year. He is easily going to nail down whatever he wants to do, but with just half a season, how much of a factor he proves to be in the Lions series could be dictated by this initial choice of playing position.
10 Go to commentsthe game was 2 weeks before the challenge cup final. I really don’t believe they needed to rest that many players.
1 Go to commentsI really feel like neither of the Vunipolas is given the respect they deserve. I would have liked to see both of them get a few more caps than they have gotten in the past couple of years, but unfortunately the fact that they both peaked young has meant that for a number of years they have been perceived as disappointments. When they are both retired, in the cold light of day they will be recognised as two of the best players of their generation of any nation.
4 Go to commentsthis generation of saracens players could produce some really incredible coaches. When Farrell retires he could walk into any premiership team as a defence, attack, or kicking coach. Itoje could make it as a defence or a lineout coach, and Jamie George as a lineout or scrum coach. The problem the Vunipolas are going to have is that its not clear what their coaching speciality would be. Neither are great in the set piece, and while they were good in attack and defence, they were never tactical masterminds. Perhaps contact skills would be their ideal brief? Mako perhaps could work in strength & conditioning, but Billy has a bit of a reputation for not taking that side of the game seriously.
4 Go to commentsA very good player.We are finally getting some balance in our team. Plummer..Heem ..Lam a solid..experienced combo who take the sensible options consistently. Clarke was a grt impact of the bench option until Lam moved to 13 to replace an injured Reiko. Cotter is doing a grt job building his team. .
1 Go to commentsSaturday was last straw. Terrible record in Premiership since Jan 23. Capitulation against Bath at home. There are 3 conclusions. Players aren't good enough. Coaching team aren't good enough or combination of both.
2 Go to comments