2016 World Rugby Pacific Challenge

The 2016 Pacific Challenge was the eleventh World Rugby Pacific Challenge. Four teams featured in the tournament which was hosted in Fiji.[1][2] The tournament was won by Fiji Warriors, who defeated  Samoa A by 36–0 in the final.

2016 World Rugby Pacific Challenge
Countries	Fiji (1 team)  Japan (1 team)  Samoa (1 team)  Tonga (1 team)
Date	8–21 March 2016
Champions	Fiji
Runners-up	Samoa

Format

The teams played against each other initially in a round-robin competition, after which the top two sides played off in a final and the bottom two sides played off for third place. The 2016 Pacific Challenge was also a testing ground for the new points system that World Rugby was trialling, where tries were valued at six points instead of five and penalty goals and drop goals were valued at two points instead of three.[3][4]

Teams

The four teams competing:

•  Junior Japan
•  Samoa A
• Fiji Warriors
•  Tonga A

Table

Team	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	For	Against	Diff	BP1	BP2	Pts
Fiji Warriors	3	3	0	0	134	34	+100	3	0	15
Samoa A	3	2	0	1	98	56	+42	2	0	10
Junior Japan	3	1	0	2	58	94	-36	0	0	4
Tonga A	3	0	0	3	26	132	-106	0	0	0
Updated: 21 March 2016 Source: World Rugby

Match results

Round 1

	8 March 2016	Junior Japan	26–8	Tonga A	ANZ Stadium, Suva
	3:30pm	Try: Doga Maeda Takuhei Yasuda Syokei Kim Con: Ryoto Nakamura (3) Pen: Ryoto Nakamura	Summary[5][6]	Try: Tuihakavalu Ika Pen: Sosefo Ma’ake	Attendance: 500

	8 March 2016	Fiji Warriors	34–6	Samoa A	ANZ Stadium, Suva
	6pm		Summary[7][8][9]		Attendance: 2, 000

Round 2

	12 March 2016	Samoa A	50–0	Tonga A	ANZ Stadium, Suva
	3:30pm

	12 March 2016	Fiji Warriors	44–10	Junior Japan	ANZ Stadium, Suva
	6pm

Round 3

	17 March 2016	Samoa A	42–22	Junior Japan	ANZ Stadium, Suva
	3:30pm

	17 March 2016	Fiji Warriors	56–18	Tonga A	ANZ Stadium, Suva
	6pm

Finals

Third place play-off	21 March 2016	Junior Japan	30–44	Tonga A	ANZ Stadium, Suva
	3:30pm		Report[10] Summary[11]		Attendance: 630

Final	21 March 2016	Fiji Warriors	36–0	Samoa A	ANZ Stadium, Suva
	6pm	Try: penalty try 19' Raiyala 35' Wakaya 54' Ucutabua 71' Hickes 74' Con: Vularika (1/3) 75' Ratu (1/1) 36'	Report[10] Summary[12]		Attendance: 4,000

References

1. Thomas, Greg (2 February 2016). "Fiji to Host World Rugby Pacific Challenge Tournament in March". Retrieved 10 March 2016.
2. "Fiji set to host Pacific Challenge". World Rugby. March 2016. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
3. Mele, Kalesi. "Pacific Challenge trials new points system". Archived from the original on 10 March 2016. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
4. Kinsella, Murray. "World Rugby have announced the trial of some fascinating new laws". Retrieved 10 March 2016.
5. "Pacific Challenge 2016, match 1". World Rugby. 8 March 2016.
6. Anasilini Ratuva and Stella Moresio (9 March 2016). "Japan A Too Hot To Handle". Retrieved 10 March 2016.
7. "Pacific Challenge 2016, match 2". World Rugby. 8 March 2016.
8. Greg Thomas (9 March 2016). "World Rugby Pacific Challenge News". Retrieved 10 March 2016.
9. World Rugby.org (March 2016). "Fiji Warriors and Junior Japan victorious on day one". Retrieved 10 March 2016.
10. "Fiji Warriors crowned Pacific Challenge champions". World Rugby. 21 March 2016. Archived from the original on 21 March 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
11. "World Rugby Pacific Challenge 2016, Match 7". World Rugby. 21 March 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
12. "World Rugby Pacific Challenge 2016, Match 8". World Rugby. 21 March 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2016.