LeagueNews.co | Nick Loken
The Kangaroos, Australia's national rugby league team, will be hosting Toa Samoa, the Samoan national team, in a rematch of last year's World Cup finals.
Similarly, the Jillaroos, Australia's women's national team, will be playing against the Kiwi Ferns, New Zealand's women's national team, in another rematch of the World Cup finals.
These matches will mark the beginning of a new Pacific Championships, which will feature men's and women's teams from seven different nations.
The opening round double-header will take place at Townsville's Queensland Country Bank Stadium on October 14.
This will be the first time in Australia since the 2017 World Cup finals that both the Kangaroos and Jillaroos will be playing on home soil.
Two weeks later, the Australian and New Zealand men's and women's teams will play another double-header at Melbourne's AAMI Park.
The launch of the Pacific Championships in Brisbane was attended by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Pat Conroy.
Additionally, the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) announced a partnership with the Australian Government to promote and develop rugby league in the Pacific through the Championships.