THE 2020 Oceania Cup is set to include a final to determine the winner and there are also plans to introduce a women’s tournament.
The absence of a final at the end of pool games and the ad-hoc nature of women’s internationals for Pacific nations, including Australia and New Zealand, were two criticisms of the inaugural Oceania Cup.
However, the Asia Pacific Rugby League Confederation and tournament promoters, Duco Events, appear to have taken note of the concerns raised as it is understood the 2020 Oceania Cup will feature a final for teams in the top tier, Pool A, and another for the second tier, Pool B.
There are also likely to be women’s internationals run concurrently with 2020 Oceania Cup Tests, which will be played on June 20 during the NRL’s standalone representative weekend, and at the end of the season.
An inaugural women’s Oceania Cup involving up to six nations is proposed for 2022 after the tournament takes a break in 2021 while the World Cup is being played in England.
The Oceania Cup was created on the back of the success of the Pacific nations at the 2017 World in a bid to provide teams with more meaningful Tests.
Results suggest the concept was a success, with Tonga beating Australia and Great Britain, Papua New Guinea also upsetting the Lions and the Test between Fiji and the Kumuls being arguably the best of the tournament.
However, governance in some Pacific nations has not matched the rise in on-field performances of their teams, with the political turmoil in Tonga costing organisers of the Oceania Cup and Great Britain Rugby League Lions tour financially.
There are also concerns about Samoa.
From 2020, the Oceania Cup – including the mid-season Pacific Test established by the NRL in 2013 – is due to come under the control of the Asia-Pacific Rugby League Confederation.
