Hamilton set to host International Rugby League Final

After a capacity crowd witnessed the first Warriors match in Hamilton since 2014 this year, FMG Stadium is set to host the final, of the Pacific Cup tournament on the 4th of November.

The 2023 Pacific Cup is a two tiered international rugby league tournament, with six men’s teams and seven women’s team competing in two pools, starting in October.

NZ Rugby League CEO Greg Peters is expecting big crowds on this side of the Tasman, to front up and cheer for their home nation.

“I firmly believe the Pacific Cup will be the biggest international rugby league event on home soil since the 2017 World Cup” says Peters.

The Australian Kangaroos lift up the World Cup trophy, when they won the last tournament in 2021. Photo from ESPN.

With rugby league popularity on the rise, after a successful season by the Warriors in the NRL, Hamilton City Council’s General Manager for Venues, Tourism and Major Events, Sean Murray, says that FMG Stadium is going to deliver one of the best finals this country has seen.

“We’re working hard to deliver an exceptional Pacific Championship final at FMG Stadium Waikato. The team looks forward to passionate fans and the exposure this game will bring to our city and region”, says Murray.

While there have been some big NRL players that have pulled out of the tournament (and probably more to follow), after a grueling NRL campaign like Nathan Cleary, Latrell Mitchell (Australia) and most recently Shaun Johnson and Brandon Smith (New Zealand), expectations for the top side of the tournament are that another match between the ANZAC rivals Australia and New Zealand is on the cards, Samoa is the other team that could make an appearance in the final.

Each of these three teams will play against each other in pool play, with the highest two teams on points, facing off in Hamilton for the Cup.

Full schedule below:

Week One – October 14-15

Australia v Samoa (men) and Australia v New Zealand (women) at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville
PNG v Cook Islands (men) and Samoa v Fiji (women) at Santos Stadium, Port Moresby

Week Two – October 21-22

New Zealand v Samoa (men), New Zealand v Tonga (women), and NZ Kiwis A v Tonga A (men) at Eden Park, Auckland
Fiji v Cook Islands (men) and PNG v Cook Islands (women) at Santos Stadium, Port Moresby

Week Three – October 28-29

Australia v New Zealand (men and women) at AAMI Park, Melbourne
PNG v Fiji (men) at Santos Stadium, Port Moresby

Week Four – November 4-5

The final of the men’s Pacific Cup tournament on November 4 at FMG Stadium Waikato, New Zealand
The final of the men’s Pacific Bowl tournament on November 5 at Santos Stadium, Port Moresby

Tickets for the final in Hamilton can be purchased here: https://premier.ticketek.co.nz/shows/Show.aspx?sh=PACIFICC23