Pacific Island Rugby Players

Pacific Island players won't be captured by All Blacks XV

New Zealand Rugby announced this week that the new high performance team will assemble later this year and play three matches, including one against the Flying Fijians in Vancouver.

NZR Chief Rugby Officer Nigel Cass said the team would provide a new national team aspiration for current professional players, and a career step towards the All Blacks for many.

"The All Blacks XV will be our second-tier team below the All Blacks and made up New Zealand's 'next best' players," he said.

Pacific Rugby Players CEO calls for change

All three Pacific nations were eliminated in the group stage, combining for just three wins from 12 matches.

The growing gap between tier one and tier two nations was a major concern, said Pacific Rugby Players' chief executive Aayden Clarke.

"This tournament has shown again if we want the growth of the game across the world, if we want the Pacific Islands to continue to feature, we need to make some changes," he said.

Pacific Islands profit share idea proves popular on social media

PRPW director Dan Leo has shared a letter sent to the unions of England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland and France in which he suggested a “revitalised profit-share model” whereby a 10 per cent share of the profit generated by tier one nations hosting tier two nations is shared. 

Currently, the home side keeps 100 per cent of the profits, but it is said on the PRPW website that “just 10 per cent of the profits from a sell-out England match at Twickenham could help a Pacific Islands nation run their international set-up for three years”.