Rugby union at the Pacific Games

Rugby union has been a men's medal sport at the South Pacific Games (now Pacific Games), being played at nine of the first ten competitions. The sport debuted at the inaugural 1963 games where the gold medal was won by the host nation. It was subsequently featured in the following games till the tenth games in 1995.

Prior to the late 1990s the men's tournament at the South Pacific Games, as it was then known, was contested by national rugby union teams (i.e. 15-a-side). The shorter version of the sport, rugby sevens, being better suited to multi-sports events led to the change of the games programme. The event made its debut in the Pacific Games programme at the 1997 South Pacific Mini Games.

Results summary YearHostFinalBronze medal matchRefGold medalScoreSilver medalBronze medalScoreFourth place 1963Suvaroundrobinn/aonly threeteams enteredSouth Pacific Games 1963. ESPN Scrum. 1966NouméaroundrobinroundrobinSouth Pacific Games 1966. ESPN Scrum. 1969Port Moresby88–3roundrobin 1971Papeete23–9 14–0South Pacific Games 1971. ESPN Scrum. 1979Suva6–39–8South Pacific Games 1979. ESPN Scrum. 1983Apia18–1070–0 1987Nouméa22–9New Caledonian stamp for the 1987 games depicting rugby. 1991Port Moresby34–7 1995Papeete25–11Only two teams participated

Medal table The all-time medal table for rugby at the South Pacific Games, from 1963–95 is collated in the table below.

Pacific Mini Games YearHostFinalBronze medal matchRefGold medalScoreSilver medalBronze medalScoreFourth place 1985Rarotongadef.

Medal table

See also Rugby sevens at the Pacific Games Rugby union at the Summer Olympics

Notes

References