Re-jig for Pacific Rim
December 11, 2000

The Pacific Rim tournament has been re-organised for 2001 as organisers attempt to find a suitable format for the leading Unions outside the traditional top eight.

Next year's tournament will be played in Japan in a five-day period in July, with the hosts joined by three teams coming through a qualifying process.

The winners and runners-up from an Oceania grouping of Fiji, Samoa and Tonga, plus the winners of a play off between Canada and the United States, will contest the Cup in Japan from 4-8 July. Dates and venues for the preliminary matches will be announced shortly.

The International Rugby Board say there will be further changes to the format in 2002, when the Pacific Rim becomes a tournament of regional champions.

There was no mention in the IRB's official press release of Epson, the tournament's sponsor in recent years, although there has been no confirmation of rumours that they were pulling out.

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