LeagueNews.co | Nick Loken
The 2023 Pacific Championships is set to be an exciting and action-packed event, featuring some of the top rugby league nations in the world.
This tournament will span four weeks and be held in three different countries, providing a thrilling end to the 2023 rugby league season.
In the men's tournament, the World Cup champions Australia will compete alongside New Zealand, Toa Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, and Papua New Guinea.
The tournament kicks off in Townsville on Saturday and promises to be a display of skill and athleticism.
The women's tournament includes Australia, the Kiwi Ferns, Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, and Cook Islands.
This showcases the commitment to gender equality in rugby league and provides an opportunity for the women's game to shine on the international stage.
The Pacific Championships is part of a long-term strategy by the ARLC to promote the international elite game.
It aims to create a dedicated window for these competitions, allowing fans and players to fully engage with the event.
Additionally, it aims to build cultural competency within the game and encourage players to represent their respective nations.
This is the first year that the Pacific Championships will take place, and it features seven competing nations across two pools in both the men's and women's tournaments.
The men's competition includes the Pacific Cup, where the three highest-ranked nations will compete against each other, and the Pacific Bowl, which features the three lower-ranked nations.
In the Cup and Bowl competitions, each team will play against each other once.
The top two ranked teams from each competition will then proceed to the respective finals, culminating in a thrilling climax to the tournament.
Overall, the 2023 Pacific Championships promises to be a showcase of international rugby league talent, providing a platform for nations to compete and celebrate the sport.
It represents a significant step in the growth and development of rugby league on a global scale.