Pacific Championships: Dates, times, fixtures as New Zealand, Tonga, Samoa face off
Read through all you need to know as the Pacific Championships hot up; New Zealand, Tonga and Samoa will compete in the men's Pacific Cup with Australia in England to take part in a historic Ashes series
Thursday 30 October 2025 14:53, UK
The Pacific Championships are reaching their peak and you can catch every moment live on Sky Sports.
The Pacific Championships in the men's and women's are split into two competitions - the Bowl and the Cup.
So, let's take a look at the key elements as the contest goes up another level this weekend.
Who is involved?
There are 12 teams involved across the men's and women's formats of the competition in 2025.
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In the men's, New Zealand, Samoa, and Tonga will contest the Cup. Meanwhile, the Cook Islands, Fiji and Papua New Guinea will contest the Bowl.
In the women's, Australia, Samoa, and New Zealand will contest the Pacific Cup, with Cook Islands, PNG and Tonga going for the Pacific Bowl.
Australia men are not involved this year due to them competing in the Ashes against England. This means Samoa jump up to the Cup.
Who has won it before?
Starting back in 2019 for the men, it was the Kangaroos who picked up the inaugural win in the Cup, with Fiji winning the second tier.
The format then returned in 2023, with New Zealand beating Australia. In 2024, Australia then took back the title when they defeated Tonga.
The women's competition began in 2024, with the Jillaroos beating New Zealand to claim the inaugural title.
What is the format?
The format sees each team play each other once in the Cup and the Bowl. In the Cup, the top two teams then play a final to decide the winner. In the Bowl, the top team after the round-robin games is immediately crowned the winner.
What has happened so far?
In the men's, Toa Samoa sit on top of the Pacific Cup after a 34-6 victory over Tonga. The Bowl has Fiji top following their 44-24 victory over the Cook Islands.
In the women's, Australia Jillaroos are in top spot after a dominant 60-0 victory over Fetu Samoa, with Cook Islands top of the Bowl with a strong 34-6 win over PNG.
When and where can I watch it?
Both competitions continue over Saturday November 1 and Sunday November 2, live on Sky Sports.
Saturday sees PNG vs Tonga in the women's Bowl from 3am on Sky Sports Mix before PNG vs Fiji in the men's Bowl from 5 on the same channel.
Live Pacific Championship Rugby League
Rugby League Ashes 2025
First Test: Saturday October 25, Wembley Stadium - England 6-26 Australia
Second Test: Saturday November 1, Everton Stadium, Liverpool
Third Test: Saturday November 8, Headingley Stadium, Leeds
