PNC history
Number of tournaments: 16
Best finish: Champions (2013, 2015-18, 2024)
Most points in a match: 50 (50-19 v Tonga, 2024)
Biggest win: 31 (as above)
Did you know...? No side has won the Pacific Nations Cup more often than the defending champions, who added last year’s title to the trophy cabinet when they beat Japan in the 2024 tournament.
Current form
World Ranking: 9th
Form: WWLLW
PNC pool matches
30 August: Fiji v Tonga – HFC Bank Stadium, Suva
6 September: Samoa v Fiji – Rotorua International Stadium, New Zealand
Key team facts
Kit colour: White and black
Team logo: Palm tree
Nickname: Flying Fijians
Known for: Basketball-style skills, unpredictable and fast-paced rugby, humility and the cibi (pronounced ‘thimbi’), the pre-match cultural challenge that they have laid down on the rugby field since 1939.
Head Coach: Mick Byrne (Australia)
Byrne took over from Simon Raiwalui as Flying Fijians coach in April 2024. A former Aussie Rules champion, Byrne, brings plenty of experience of the international arena, having worked as an assistant coach with Scotland, New Zealand, Japan and Australia in 15s and Canada in sevens, acting as women’s head coach at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
He knows many of the Flying Fijian players through his work with Super Rugby outfit Fijian Drua – named after the historic double-hull sailing vessels that Fijian seafarers used to travel the Pacific.
In brief
The Harlem Globetrotters of rugby – and highest ranked side in PNC 2025 – play 15-a-side rugby in the same freestyle fashion they do sevens, a format in which they have enjoyed huge worldwide success, with two Olympic golds a silver, and multiple sevens titles.
Forwards who can run and pass like backs and backs who can tackle as heavily as forwards combine to make Fiji a jaw-dropping team to watch. Most neutrals adopt them as their favourite ‘second team’ for the sheer joy and pure entertainment that they bring to the game. They won’t want to give up their crown as the most successful team in the Pacific lightly.
Key player: Caleb Muntz
Such is the ability, impact and poise of 25-year-old Kiwi-born Muntz on a rugby pitch that it’s easy to consider him a veteran of the game. That would be wrong, as he still only has 16 caps to his name since making his debut in 2023. He combines accurate kicking off the tee – a prerequisite for international 10s – with the ability to keep defences guessing with piercing runs and probing passes.
Legend: Viliame Mata
If you were to ask 20 rugby fans to identify the current Flying Fijian who is the most ‘typical’ of the squad, the purest playing example of Fiji rugby, you would probably get 11 or 12 different answers. But it’s a fair bet that ‘Big Bill’ Mata would get several votes, thanks to his oof-inducing tackling, his remarkable offloading skill, ability to produce rugby magic out of nowhere, and the undiluted thrill he still brings to the game in his mid-30s.
Squad
Head coach Byrne’s 30-player squad for the upcoming 2025 Pacific Nations Cup, features established names like Semi Radradra, Seta Tamanivalu, Mesake Doge, and Bill Mata, and three potential debutants in Taniela Rakuro, Tuidraki Samusamuvodre, and Isoa Tuwai.
Forwards
Elia Canakaivata, Mesake Doge, Haereiti Hetet, Tevita Ikanivere, Viliame Mata, Eroni Mawi, Motikai Murray, Temo Mayanavanua, Isoa Nasilasila, Kitione Salawa, Samu Tawake, Zuriel Togiatama, Meli Tuni, Isoa Tuwai, Mesake Vocevoce, Etonia Waqa
Backs
Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula, Philip Baselala, Simione Kuruvoli, Ponipate Loganimasi, Caleb Muntz, Semi Radradra, Taniela Rakuro, Kalaveti Ravouvou, Tuidraki Samusamuvodre, Inia Tabuavou, Seta Tamanivalu, Kemu Valentini, Sam Wye
They say
“When bringing young players into a tournament, you need experienced leaders around them to guide their development. Having world-class players like Bill Mata, Semi Radradra, and Seta Tamanivalu creates the perfect environment for these rising talents.
“Even someone like Kitione Salawa, who has been in the setup for a few years, is still refining his game at this level. The key is ensuring these young players learn what it takes to perform at the elite level every single day.” – Head Coach Mick Byrne
