Defence Force rugby teams from across the Pacific will converge on Wellington in October to take part in the Pacific Nations Military Rugby Tournament (PNMRT).
All games in the competition, which is hosted by the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF), will be held at Maidstone Park in Upper Hutt. The teams are divided into two pools with round robin matches played from 28 -30 October, with the final games held on 1 November.
Teams participating in the tournament are the Australia Defence Force (ADF), French Armed Forces New Caledonia (FANC), NZDF, Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF), Tonga Defence Services (TDS) and an NZDF Development Team.
“The aim of the tournament is to foster healthy competition and greater understanding between Pacific Nation Defence Forces through rugby; the language of the Pacific,” said the Chief of Defence Force, Lieutenant General Jerry Mateparae.
The inaugural Pacific Nations Military Rugby Cup in 2006 was hosted by the ADF. After the tournament the participating nations’ Defence Force Chiefs decided to hold a similar tournament biennially, with New Zealand and Australia hosting the tournament alternatively.
“We are looking forward to hosting the teams as well as representatives from all the countries involved in the tournament,” LT GEN Mateparae said. “We regularly work alongside many of the Defence Forces in the Pacific region and hope to enhance our working relationships on the sports field.”
“The test series is open to the public and will provide a great opportunity to see Pacific Nation Defence Force teams in action in what should be a highly competitive but good spirited event,” said LT GEN Mateparae.
Pacific Nations Cup 2008 Poster [.pdf 2,914kb]