Pacific Championships 2025

[Last Week]

With Haas, Hammer, Tino, Luai, Chrichton and To'o, Samoa could be looking at winning the World Cup. Would be massive for the game there.

I question that. I've yet to see any movement by the NRL in those countries.

No games, no tours of junior teams (either here or bringing players from there to here), nothing.

If anything, it's going to do more for PI people in Australia and NZ.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

Yup the kiwis were dominant on that game but if they were to play again I doubt the aussie forwards will play that poor again. Aussies have a very solid forward pack even without Haas and Tino.
Lindsay Collins
Patrick Carrigan
Ruben Cotter
Lindsay Smith
Mitch Barnett

Hopefully all the packs are full strength for the WC so we can find out

Australia at full strength is probably:

Barnett
Grant
Flegler / Carrigan
Martin
Chrichton
Yeo

 

[titoelcolombiano]

I question that. I've yet to see any movement by the NRL in those countries.

No games, no tours of junior teams (either here or bringing players from there to here), nothing.

If anything, it's going to do more for PI people in Australia and NZ.

Completely get what you're saying, but it's certainly going to start having an impact back in Samoa on local playing numbers if RL is THE thing the brings national pride. No other Samoan sporting team will EVER have the chance of winning a world cup in any sport and that will translate to RL shifting into becoming the national sport there moving forward. Ditto Tonga

 

[Clarkent]

I question that. I've yet to see any movement by the NRL in those countries.

No games, no tours of junior teams (either here or bringing players from there to here), nothing.

If anything, it's going to do more for PI people in Australia and NZ.

Nrl are investing millions into the island nations last year. I think there was a article by all the island nations rugby union being worried that rugby league is starting to take over in the islands and they're asking Chinese for financial help to combat that. I was in samoa not long ago and alot of the locals watches nrl now. The number will rise next year when the world cup starts

 

[Vlad59]

Nrl are investing millions into the island nations last year. I think there was an article by all the island nations rugby union being worried that rugby league is starting to take over in the islands and they're asking Chinese for financial help to combat that. I was in samoa not long ago and alot of the locals watches nrl now. The number will rise next year when the world cup starts

But there has been no reported increase in participation I can find. It’s not enough to be popular. We need participation and pathways.

 

[taste2taste]

I question that. I've yet to see any movement by the NRL in those countries.

No games, no tours of junior teams (either here or bringing players from there to here), nothing.

If anything, it's going to do more for PI people in Australia and NZ.

Completley incorrect.

League participation has exploded in Tonga. To the piont Union are saying they will be completly over taken.

The past 3 years Tongas best school boys have toured Australia and NRL scouts have signed the top talent from those teams.

 

[Vlad59]

Completley incorrect.

League participation has exploded in Tonga. To the piont Union are saying they will be completly over taken.

The past 3 years Tongas best school boys have toured Australia and NRL scouts have signed the top talent from those teams.

Tonga has 7000 union players. There has been no participation update for league I’m aware of since 2007 when it was 1500. It would have to be higher now. Only 104000 people live there so growth is limited you’d think to just obliterating union. If so that’s fine by all of us I think

 

[Wb1234]

Nrl are investing millions into the island nations last year. I think there was a article by all the island nations rugby union being worried that rugby league is starting to take over in the islands and they're asking Chinese for financial help to combat that. I was in samoa not long ago and alot of the locals watches nrl now. The number will rise next year when the world cup starts

‘Nail in the coffin’: Pacific rugby leaders raise alarm about NRL’s PNG deal

Officials in the region are concerned about the Albanese government’s bankrolling of rugby league and are proposing a greater share in funding for their national game.

www.smh.com.au

Money hasn’t started yet

Around 29 million a year to the pacific islands

 

[Clarkent]

But there has been no reported increase in participation I can find. It’s not enough to be popular. We need participation and pathways.

It wont happen overnight tho you gotta remember the international game hasn't got to that level yet. Its growing now but you've got to be patient. The union game in the islands is on the decline tho and that might be due to the locals interest in rugby league

 

[Wb1234]

Samoa and Tonga have small populations

Fiji and png have the population base

But they take away from Union World Cup and help league internationals and World Cup

If league can end up dominating the talent flow from all those places to union their game will struggle for playing depth for clubs across the world

In terms of rugby union relevance they punch well above their weight in terms of population

Apparently 21 percent of all pro union players around the globe are of Islander descent

Twenty per cent of the players, '0.3 per cent' of the vote: The Pacific's push for World Rugby voice

Pacific Island rugby groups are calling for greater representation on the World Rugby Council, saying that the Pacific barely has a voice on the governing body despite Pacific Islanders making up one in five players.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Thatwasnthighref]

It wont happen overnight tho you gotta remember the international game hasn't got to that level yet. Its growing now but you've got to be patient. The union game in the islands is on the decline tho and that might be due to the locals interest in rugby league

And the increased interest stems from, IMO, the national teams featuring more and more of their best players.

The islands have always taken pride in seeing guys Savea and Ikitau playing for the ABs and Wallabies and probably always will, but seeing elite level NRL players in their own colours is making league more and more compelling.

A pacific win in the WC would be enormous for the game in the islands. May not see a sudden surge in local participation because the lack of infrastructure will take years to turn around, even with additional financial support.
But what will happen more immediately is more local talent opting for NRL pathways rather than union ones. NZ2 is a real missed opportunity in that context.

 

[Wb1234]

 

[Matua]

If league can end up dominating the talent flow from all those places to union their game will struggle for playing depth for clubs across the world

In terms of rugby union relevance they punch well above their weight in terms of population

Apparently 21 percent of all pro union players around the globe are of Islander descent

The issue with your scenario here is that a huge number of that 21% are not from the PIs originally with many being from Oz and NZ, so they might not do the amount of damage to pro clubs around the world that you hope for. There's less than 25k registered players of all ages in Samoa. So while some of those choosing to go to league will dent rugby in Samoa it's not really going to effect the world game too much.

 

[Vlad59]

The issue with your scenario here is that a huge number of that 21% are not from the PIs originally with many being from Oz and NZ, so they might not do the amount of damage to pro clubs around the world that you hope for. There's less than 25k registered players of all ages in Samoa. So while some of those choosing to go to league will dent rugby in Samoa it's not really going to effect the world game too much.

It’s very hard to get any figures in rugby league participation in Samoa. This doesn’t help.

https://rugbyleaguesamoa.c/

 

[Wb1234]

The issue with your scenario here is that a huge number of that 21% are not from the PIs originally with many being from Oz and NZ, so they might not do the amount of damage to pro clubs around the world that you hope for. There's less than 25k registered players of all ages in Samoa. So while some of those choosing to go to league will dent rugby in Samoa it's not really going to effect the world game too much.

Australia we’ve taken care of

 

[The Axe of Druss]

Mental having the final in Oz.

The organisers know australia isnt playing right ?

Some big stadiums being used. Suncrop without Australia playing and Eden Park ? Could be alot of empty seats for those games.

You underestimate the pulling power of Tonga v Samoa in Brisbane mate. The Polynesian community will flood Suncorp like they were giving away buckets of KFC. They are expecting a near sellout

 

[Mother Nature's Son]

You underestimate the pulling power of Tonga v Samoa in Brisbane mate. The Polynesian community will flood Suncorp like they were giving away buckets of KFC. They are expecting a near sellout

Yeah mate, we were at the final of last year`s championship at CommBank and it was mental, I reckon there`ll be a lot heading north for this one as well.

 

[nko11]

Stadium Map, as of 18.8.25 6:45pm

Samoan fans somewhat ahead with sales - which lines up with the larger Samoan Brisbane population. Hopefully start to see an increase in Tongan fan sales, as they book flights and trips up.

After the first 24 hours of sales - has been averaging ~660 sales per day. If it maintains a sales rate of ~400 a day (with a curve down during finals, but a big increase in the week leadup) - thats a further 27,600 sold. So would give 41,200 + 5000 stadium member seats not on sale).

I'm gonna go for 34-40k, but if it captures a wider segment of the sporting public in Brisbane could go into the 40k's. Especially if theres some hype to get the Stadium members out. Not sure if they do it at Suncorp - but having stadium members opt in for the game and sell the unclaimed tickets - would be good to fill up the TV arc.

 

[Clarkent]

Stadium Map, as of 18.8.25 6:45pm

Samoan fans somewhat ahead with sales - which lines up with the larger Samoan Brisbane population. Hopefully start to see an increase in Tongan fan sales, as they book flights and trips up.

After the first 24 hours of sales - has been averaging ~660 sales per day. If it maintains a sales rate of ~400 a day (with a curve down during finals, but a big increase in the week leadup) - thats a further 27,600 sold. So would give 41,200 + 5000 stadium member seats not on sale).

I'm gonna go for 34-40k, but if it captures a wider segment of the sporting public in Brisbane could go into the 40k's. Especially if theres some hype to get the Stadium members out. Not sure if they do it at Suncorp - but having stadium members opt in for the game and sell the unclaimed tickets - would be good to fill up the TV arc.
View attachment 105423

The Samoan section will be sold out once the squads announced or not long after the nrl season is over. Haas committing also helped with the rise of ticket sales to the samoan fans. I'm also flying over from nz with a few mates to watch the game.

 

[Mother Nature's Son]

The Samoan section will be sold out once the squads announced or not long after the nrl season is over. Haas committing also helped with the rise of ticket sales to the samoan fans. I'm also flying over from nz with a few mates to watch the game.

State and Federal govt`s must love this, people flying in from other countries to see games, you just don`t get that with some other codes.