The Pacific Rim Rugby Championship, also known as the Epson Cup for sponsorship purposes,[1] was an international rugby union tournament contested by national teams from around the Pacific.[2][3] The championship was held annually between 1996 and 2001.
 Epson Cup logo introduced in 1999 | |
| Sport | Rugby union |
|---|---|
| First season | 1996 |
| Ceased | 2001 |
| No. of teams | 6 |
| Last champion(s) |  Fiji (2001) |
| Most titles |  Canada (3 times) |
The competition was run by the International Rugby Board.[4] In the first three tournaments, Canada, United States, Japan and Hong Kong competed for the championship. The competition was expanded to six teams in 1999 with the Pacific Tri-Nations teams Fiji, Samoa and Tonga replacing Hong Kong for the last three tournaments.
Tournament winners
edit| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Third place | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Canada
|
 Hong Kong
|
 United States
|
[5][6] |
| 1997 | Canada
|
Hong Kong
|
 Japan
|
[7] |
| 1998 | Canada
|
 Hong Kong
|
United States
|
[8] |
| 1999 | Japan
|
 Western Samoa
|
United States
|
[9] |
| 2000 | Fiji
|
Western Samoa
|
 Tonga
|
[10] |
| 2001 | Fiji
|
Western Samoa
|
Japan
|
[11] |
Successor events
editThe Epson Cup series ended at the completion of the original sponsorship deal, but the Pacific Tri-Nations tournament continued for the next three years until the IRB expanded that competition to form the Pacific Nations Cup in 2006 (also known as the Pacific Six Nations).[12][13]
The Pacific Nations Cup, including Japan, Fiji, Samoa and Tonga, was expanded again in 2012 with Canada and the United States joining the competition.[14]
The United States, Russia, China, Japan, and eventually Canada and Romania, played in the Super Powers Cup (later renamed the Super Cup) from 2003 to 2005.[15]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "IRB unaware of Epson Cup problems". ESPN Scrum. 12 October 2000. Archived from the original on 14 May 2015. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
- ^ Sallay, Alvin (7 July 1996). "Pacific Rim teams urged to improve rugby standards". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 14 May 2015. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
- ^ "Epson Renews Pacific Rim Title Sponsorship". Sport Cal. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
- ^ "Welcome to the home of the Epson Cup on the Internet". IRB. 2002. Archived from the original on 3 September 2002. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
- ^ "Rugby Union: Canada beat Hong Kong 57-9". Independent. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
- ^ Pacific Rim Championship. ESPN Scrum. 1996.
- ^ Pacific Rim Championship. ESPN Scrum. 1997.
- ^ Pacific Rim Championship. ESPN Scrum. 1998.
- ^ Pacific Rim Championship. ESPN Scrum. 1999.
- ^ Pacific Rim Championship. ESPN Scrum. 2000.
- ^ Pacific Rim Championship. ESPN Scrum. 2001.
- ^ "About Us: National Teams". Fiji Rugby. 2015. Archived from the original on 14 May 2015. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
- ^ "IRB unveil plan to boost rugby worldwide". Irish Times. 5 August 2005. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
- ^ "Pacific Nations Cup expanded to Canada and USA". TVNZ. 23 January 2013. Archived from the original on 26 January 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
- ^ "What a Week!". Nigel Melville Direct. 10 February 2009. Archived from the original on 8 July 2011. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
External links
edit- irb-epson.irb.org archive of official webpage