Pacific Cup : Past Tournaments
The Pacific Cup concept was created by Keith Gittoes of the New South Wales Rugby League in 1974 as a way of providing international competition to emerging test nation, Papua New Guinea.
The inaugural tournament, held in Port Moresby, consisted of PNG, Victoria, Western Australia and the New Zealand Maori. Northern Territory was meant to join the competition, but due to Cyclone Tracey, was forced to pull out.
The tournament was held again in 1977 in New Zealand before costs put the concept on hold until the mid 80’s.
With the emergence of new Rugby League competitions in Samoa, Tonga, Tokelau, Niue, Cook Islands and Fiji, the tournament was held bi-annually until the Super League war.
The tournament was concept was revived by the New Zealand Rugby League in 2004 and 2006 primarily for resident based teams, before the RLIF took over the co-ordination of Pacific based tournaments.
| Past Pacific Cup Tournaments | |
| Winner | Runners Up | Host Nation |  | 1975 | New Zealand Maori | Papua New Guinea | Papua New Guinea | | 1977 | New Zealand Maori | Western Australia | New Zealand | | 1988 | New Zealand Maori | Western Samoa | Western Samoa | | 1990 | Western Samoa | New Zealand Maori | Tonga | | 1992 | Western Samoa | Tonga Mate Ma'a | New Zealand | | 1994 | Tonga Mate Ma'a | Fiji Bati | Fiji | | 1996* | Fiji Bati | New Zealand Maori | Home/Away Series | | 1997 | New Zealand XIII | New Zealand Maori | New Zealand | | 2004 | Cook Islands | New Zealand Maori | New Zealand | | 2006 | Tonga Mate Ma'a | Fiji Bati | New Zealand | | | |
* No Final was played in the 1996 Pacific Challenge. Results were based upon Ladder positions
