US Rugby asks NZR to help restore Pacific Nations Cup

USA rugby Confirm order for New Zealand rugby to help them United State Have a calendar with more regular trial matches through Pacific Nations Cup.

The All Blacks and Eagles will meet in Washington, D.C. in October as part of their year-end tour of New Zealand, but US rugby chief executive Ross Young is on the hunt for more.

Since the 2019 World Cup, the US has played only two matches, last month against Wales and England, whose top players were in South Africa with the British and Irish Lions.

The United States was due to play in the Americas Rugby League against Argentina XV, Canada, Uruguay, Brazil and Chile, before facing Italy and the French barbarians in July, while an additional test against Canada was scheduled for October. However, Young wants to revive the Pacific Nations Cup, an annual competition that has been held since 2019, in which the United States, Canada, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Japan face each other.

This tournament gave all six Tier 2 nations the regular and meaningful encounters that Young craves, but complications from the pandemic brought the competition to a halt after Japan won it two years ago.

Young wants the United States to align with the Pacific nations to revive the Pacific Nations Cup. “We started talking about it with World Rugby so we have the chance to play more international matches. There was the Pacific Cup (almost) 10 years ago, which featured Japan, Pacific Islands, USA and Canada. To me, that makes sense.”

This is where Young wants to help the NZR. While he acknowledges that NZR has its own domestic issues, he is eager to see one of the most powerful unions in rugby use its influence at the global rugby level to drive change that helps develop. “It’s important that we also have the right strategic partners to move it forward. Fortunately, I have a good relationship with Mark Robinson and Andy Marinos, as well as with Sanzar, so I hope we can continue to get to the table and achieve something.”