Pacific Rugby Players Welfare Consider Boycotting RWC 2019

The Pacific Rugby Players Welfare (PRPW) are considering boycotting RWC 2019. The organization represents 600 mainly European-based Pacific Island professional rugby players, of whom Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga rely on heavily for their rosters.

The organization’s stance comes following a leak from the New Zealand Herald which noted Japan and the USA are to join the Rugby Championship in 2020. The move is part of the changing model from World Rugby which will see a new ‘World League’, or ‘Nations Championship’ replacing the existing June and November Internationals.

While the concept being pushed by World Rugby is reported to include Japan and the USA there is no place for Fiji, Samoa, or Tonga. Of note is that Fiji is ranked 9th in the world ahead of both Japan and the USA.

The PRPW’s motion to boycott has been termed by the organization as a ‘legitimate player protest’ at World Rugby’s reported plans to exclude the Pacific for as long as twelve seasons from the new World League project.

The project is the vision of Agustín Pichot who wants it to include promotion / relegation with a second division. Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga would all be in the second division though there are unions actively blocking plans for promotion / relegation, thereby having the same teams play against the same annual opponents from 2020-2030 and even longer.

The PRPW is headed by former Samoan second-rower Dan Leo who is far from impressed. He noted that:

“This is exactly what happened when they created Super Rugby and all of the subsequent years of expansion. Their watchword was – let’s take their players but whatever happens, keep the islands out. This will be Pacific Rugby Disaster 2.0.”

RWC 2019 begins in six months time with Japan vs Russia as the tournament opener on September 20. The following day will see Fiji open their campaign against Australia while Tonga, and Samoa will play their respective opening fixtures on September 22 and 24.

Needless to say the timing of the considered boycott is highly problematic for World Rugby. Yet it is not only Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga who have been disadvantaged by the World League. Georgia are in the same situation and, in fact, struggle more than  both Fiji, and Samoa to secure home test matches against Tier 1 opposition.

Added to the situation even further is that there are many Pacific Island heritage players involved for countries other than Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga. England and France, for instance, both have such forwards in their current rosters for the Six Nations.