Fiji's place among the world's rugby elite has been reinforced with the unveiling of the inaugural Nations Championship Trophy, as the FIJI Water Flying Fijians prepare to take on the strongest rugby nations on the planet in a groundbreaking new international competition beginning next month.
The newly revealed Nations Championship Trophy will be contested by 12 of the world's leading rugby nations, including Fiji, which joins Southern Hemisphere powerhouses Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina, alongside Japan, in a historic tournament designed to determine the dominant force in world rugby.
Standing 67cm tall and weighing 15kg, the silver and gold-plated trophy represents the pinnacle of international rugby achievement and will be awarded to the inaugural Nations Championship winner at the Finals Weekend in London later this year.
For Fiji, participation in the Nations Championship marks another significant milestone in the nation's rugby journey, providing the Flying Fijians with a consistent platform to compete against the best teams from the Northern Hemisphere, including England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales.
The innovative competition format will see Fiji and its Southern Hemisphere counterparts face teams from the Six Nations in a series of high stakes matches across the traditional July and November international windows. Every match will contribute to overall standings, with teams battling for qualification to the Nations Championship Finals Weekend.
The trophy's design reflects the global nature of the competition, featuring a gold-plated globe at its centre and distinctive handles symbolizing the rivalry between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
The championship aims to bring together the world's leading rugby nations in pursuit of global supremacy while creating new opportunities for growth and competition across the sport.
SANZAAR Chief Executive Officer Brendan Morris says the wait is almost over and the anticipation for the inaugural Nations Championship continues to build, and the unveiling of the new Trophy signals that kick-off is not far away.
Morris says the twelve best teams in world rugby will battle it out for the overall title of Nations Championship champion, while uniquely all teams will determine, through match results in July and November and the Finals Weekend, which hemisphere is dominant in the world of rugby.
Fiji's inclusion alongside rugby's traditional powerhouses underscores the Flying Fijians' growing reputation on the international stage and provides local fans with the opportunity to see their national team compete in a tournament expected to become one of the sport's premier global events.
The Nations Championship has been created through a landmark partnership between Six Nations Rugby and SANZAAR and will be held every two years outside Rugby World Cup and British & Irish Lions Tour years.
The tournament kicks off on 4th July, with the Flying Fijians aiming to make history by becoming the inaugural Nations Championship winners and etching Fiji's name onto the trophy for the first time.
Fiji will begin its inaugural Nations Championship campaign against Wales on 5th July at 1.10am, before taking on England on 12th July at 1.10am and Scotland on 19th July also at 1.10am during the Southern Hemisphere series.
