2023 Rugby World Cup – Oceania qualification

2023 Rugby World Cup – Oceania qualification
Tournament details
Dates	10 July 2021 – 24 July 2021
No. of nations	7
← 2019 2027 →

Qualifying for the 2023 Rugby World Cup for Oceania Rugby began in July 2021, where 3 teams competed for one direct qualification spot into the final tournament and for a place in a cross-regional play-off match.

Format

Oceania Rugby was granted one direct qualification berth, and was awarded to the winner on aggregate of a Samoa–Tonga home and away play-off (Oceania 1). The loser then progressed to a straight play-off match against the winner of the 2021 Oceania Rugby Cup to advance as Oceania 2 to a cross-regional play-off against Asia 1.^[1] All matches were held in New Zealand due to COVID-19 restrictions and rates in the region.

Entrants

Seven teams had meant to compete during for the Oceania qualifiers for the 2023 Rugby World Cup, but later reduced to only 3 after the cancelation of the 2021 Oceania Rugby Cup; teams World Rankings are prior to the first Oceania qualification match on 10 July while nations in bold denote teams that have previously played in a Rugby World Cup.

Nation	Rank	Began play	Qualifying status
Australia	7	N/A	Qualified with Top 12 finish at 2019 World Cup
Cook Islands	53	24 July	Eliminated by Tonga on 24 July 2021
Fiji	11	N/A	Qualified with Top 12 finish at 2019 World Cup
New Zealand	2	N/A	Qualified with Top 12 finish at 2019 World Cup
Niue	98	N/A	Eliminated with 2021 Oceania Rugby Cup Cancellation
Papua New Guinea	83	N/A	Eliminated with 2021 Oceania Rugby Cup Cancellation
Samoa	14	10 July	Qualified as Oceania 1 on 17 July 2021
Solomon Islands	104	N/A	Eliminated with 2021 Oceania Rugby Cup Cancellation
Tahiti	100	N/A	Eliminated with 2021 Oceania Rugby Cup Cancellation
Tonga	13	10 July	Advances to Asia/Pacific play-off as Oceania 2 on 24 July 2021

Round 1: 2021 Oceania Rugby Cup

Papua New Guinea were due to host the 2021 Oceania Rugby Cup which was due to take place in June 2021. However, in April 2021, the participating unions agreed to cancel the tournament due to the rising impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in the region.^[2] With the event's cancellation and the tight timeframe available to determine the region's champion, the World Rugby Rankings were used to confirm the team progressing in the Rugby World Rugby 2023 qualification process, and with the Cook Islands the highest-ranked team at the time, earned progression to Round 3.^[3]

Advanced to Round 3

Pos	Team	Rank
1	Cook Islands	52
2	Papua New Guinea	83
3	Niue	94
4	Tahiti	96
5	Solomon Islands	99

Round 2: Oceania 1 play-offs

Round 2 consisted of a 2-leg play-off series between the highest-ranked participating teams in Oceania; Samoa and Tonga. This series was scheduled to be a home-and-away play-off series in Samoa and Tonga, but due to restrictions in the region, New Zealand became the hub for the qualification round.^[4]

The winner of this round, Samoa, qualified as Oceania 1, whilst the loser moved to round 3 to play the Cook Islands in an Oceania 2 play-off decider.

Team 1	Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score	Team 2	1st leg	2nd leg
Samoa	79–28	Tonga	42–13	37–15

Leg 1

10 July 2021
16:30 NZST (UTC+12)

Samoa	42–13	Tonga
Try: Niuia 46' c Motuga 50' m Taefu 56' c Fidow 63' c Ili 78' c Con: Taefu (3/4) 47', 57', 64' Leuila (1/1) 79' Pen: Taefu (3/3) 23', 36', 43'	Report WR Report	Try: Taulani 54' c Con: Takulua (1/1) 55' Pen: Takulua (2/3) 17', 60'

Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand
Attendance: 3,000
Referee: Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand)

Team details


FB	15	Ahsee Tuala	40'
RW	14	Tomasi Alosio
OC	13	Stacey Ili
IC	12	Henry Taefu
LW	11	Neria Fomai
FH	10	Rodney Iona	72'
SH	9	Auvasa Faleali'i	5'
N8	8	Henry Stowers	54'
OF	7	Alamanda Motuga
BF	6	Olajuwon Noa
RL	5	Samuel Slade
LL	4	Ben Nee-Nee	67'
TP	3	Michael Ala'alatoa (c)	64'
HK	2	Ray Niuia	57'
LP	1	Tietie Tuimauga	60'
Replacements:
HK	16	Seilala Lam	57'
PR	17	Jonah Aoina	60'
PR	18	Kalolo Tuiloma	64'
LK	19	Theo McFarland	67'
FL	20	Jack Lam	54'
SH	21	Jonathan Taumateine	5'
FH	22	D'Angelo Leuila	72'
WG	23	Ed Fidow	40'
Coach:
Seilala Mapusua


FB	15	Nafi Tuitavake	52'
RW	14	Penikolo Latu	60'
OC	13	Fine Inisi
IC	12	Nikolai Foliaki
LW	11	Hosea Saumaki
FH	10	Kali Hala
SH	9	Sonatane Takulua (c)	65'
N8	8	Nasi Manu	47'
OF	7	Mateaki Kafatolu
BF	6	Sione Tuipulotu
RL	5	Zane Kapeli	67'
LL	4	Don Lolo
TP	3	Sila Puafisi	54'
HK	2	Sam Moli	60'
LP	1	Jethro Felemi	54'
Replacements:
HK	16	Siua Maile	60'
PR	17	Duke Nginingini [fr]	54'
PR	18	Ben Tameifuna	54'
LK	19	Harrison Mataele	67'
FL	20	Viliami Taulani	70'
SH	21	Leon Fukofuka	65'
CE	22	Viliami Fine	60'
WG	23	Sam Vaka	52'
Coach:
Toutai Kefu

Assistant referees:
Angus Mabey (New Zealand)
Marcus Playle (New Zealand)
Television match official:
Glenn Newman (New Zealand)

Notes:

James Faiva was named to start but withdrew ahead of the game and was replaced by Nafi Tuitavake, who was replaced by Viliami Fine.
Tomasi Alosio, Jonah Aoina, Neria Fomai, Theo McFarland, Olajuwon Noa, Samuel Slade, Jonathan Taumateine, Kalolo Tuiloma and Tietie Tuimauga (all Samoa) and Viliami Fine and Sam Vaka (both Tonga) made their international debuts.

Leg 2

17 July 2021
16:00 NZST (UTC+12)

Tonga	15–37	Samoa
Try: Fonokalafi 51' c Tuipulotu 56' c Con: Faiva (1/2) 52' Pen: Faiva (1/1) 4'	Report WR Report	Try: Fidow 26' c Taumateine 38' c Ili 73' c Tuiloma 79' c Con: Taefu (3/3) 27', 74', 80' Iona (1/1) 39' Pen: Taefu (3/3) 9', 13', 43'

FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
Attendance: 3,000
Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand) ^[a]

Team details


FB	15	Kali Hala
RW	14	Penikolo Latu	44'
OC	13	Fine Inisi
IC	12	Nikolai Foliaki
LW	11	Hosea Saumaki	59'
FH	10	James Faiva
SH	9	Sonatane Takulua (c)	69'
N8	8	Nasi Manu	40'
OF	7	Mateaki Kafatolu
BF	6	Sione Tuipulotu
RL	5	Harrison Mataele	5'
LL	4	Don Lolo
TP	3	Sila Puafisi	44'
HK	2	Siua Maile	9'
LP	1	Jethro Felemi	19'
Replacements:
HK	16	Jay Fonokalafi	9'
PR	17	Duke Nginingini [fr]	19'
PR	18	Ben Tameifuna	44'
FL	19	Maama Vaipulu	40'
FL	20	Viliami Taulani	5'
SH	21	Aisea Halo	69'
WG	22	Nafi Tuitavake	59'
WG	23	Walter Fifita	44'
Coach:
Toutai Kefu


FB	15	Tomasi Alosio
RW	14	Ed Fidow		63'
OC	13	Stacey Ili
IC	12	Henry Taefu
LW	11	Neria Fomai
FH	10	Rodney Iona		71'
SH	9	Jonathan Taumateine		74'
N8	8	Henry Stowers		57'
OF	7	Alamanda Motuga
BF	6	Olajuwon Noa		65'	75'
RL	5	Samuel Slade
LL	4	Ben Nee-Nee		64'
TP	3	Michael Ala'alatoa (c)		67'
HK	2	Ray Niuia		75'
LP	1	Tietie Tuimauga	65'		75'
Replacements:
HK	16	JP Sauni		75'
PR	17	Jonah Aoina		65'
PR	18	Kalolo Tuiloma		67'
LK	19	Theo McFarland		64'
FL	20	Jack Lam		57'
SH	21	Dwayne Polataivao		74'
FH	22	D'Angelo Leuila		71'
CE	23	Losi Filipo		63'
Coach:
Seilala Mapusua

Assistant referees:
Dan Waenga (New Zealand)
Angus Mabey (New Zealand)
Television match official:
Chris Hart (New Zealand)

Notes:

Jay Fonokalafi and Aisea Halo (both Tonga) and Losi Filipo and JP Sauni (both Samoa) made their international debuts.

Round 3: Oceania 2 play-off

The winner of this match, Tonga, advanced to a Asia/Oceania play-off match against Asia 1 (as Oceania 2), with the winner earning the right to qualify for the 2023 Rugby World Cup as the Asia/Pacific play-off winner.

24 July 2021
17:35 NZST (UTC+12)

Tonga	54–10	Cook Islands
Try: Fifita 18' c Vaka 24' c Tuipulotu (2) 36' c, 55' c Faiva 39' m Takulua (2) 43' c, 48' c Mahe 66' c Con: Faiva (7/8) 20', 25', 37', 44', 49', 56', 68'	Report WR Report	Try: Tou 27' c Con: To. Sopoaga (1/1) 28' Pen: To. Sopoaga (1/2) 10'

Navigation Homes Stadium, Pukekohe, New Zealand
Attendance: 2,000
Referee: Graham Cooper (Australia)

Team details


FB	15	Nikolai Foliaki	60'
RW	14	Nafi Tuitavake
OC	13	Fine Inisi
IC	12	Sam Vaka	60'
LW	11	Walter Fifita	68'
FH	10	James Faiva
SH	9	Sonatane Takulua (c)
N8	8	Sione Tuipulotu	71'
OF	7	Mateaki Kafatolu
BF	6	Kelemete Finau	47'
RL	5	Viliami Taulani
LL	4	Semisi Paea
TP	3	Ben Tameifuna	60'
HK	2	Sam Moli	60'
LP	1	Duke Nginingini [fr]	71'
Replacements:
HK	16	Jay Fonokalafi	60'
PR	17	Sona Taumalolo	71'
PR	18	Sila Puafisi	60'
LK	19	Nela Matakaiongo	71'
FL	20	Tovo Faleafa	47'
SH	21	Leon Fukofuka	68'
FH	22	Paula Mahe	60'
WG	23	John Tapueluelu	60'
Coach:
Toutai Kefu


FB	15	Te Puhi Rudolph
RW	14	Materua Tupou		44'
OC	13	Junior Taia
IC	12	Leon Ellia-Niukore		62'
LW	11	Tevita Yamaraki
FH	10	Reece Joyce
SH	9	Tokahirere Sopoaga
N8	8	Leroy Henry-Jack
OF	7	Tupou Sopoaga (c)		65'
BF	6	Rob Heather		49'
RL	5	Oneal Rongo		49'
LL	4	Tahquinn Hansen
TP	3	Alex Matapo		11'
HK	2	Ben Tou		58'
LP	1	Antonio Ripata		60'
Replacements:
PR	16	James Pakoti		58'
PR	17	Tuakana Paitai		11'
HK	18	Ezekiel Sopoaga		60'
LK	19	James Kora		49'
FL	20	Jardine Pumati Chung-Ching		65'
FL	21	Francis Smith	59'	49'
CE	22	Gideon Kautai		44'
FB	23	Matamanea Matapakia		62'
Coach:
Nathan Robinson

Assistant referees:
Angus Mabey (New Zealand)
Michael Winter (New Zealand)
Television match official:
Aaron Paterson (New Zealand)

Notes:

Tovo Faleafa, Kelemete Finau, Paula Mahe, Nela Matakaiongo, Semisi Paea and John Tapueluelu (all Tonga) and Jardine Pumati Chung-Ching, Leon Ellia-Niukore, Tahquinn Hansen, Leroy Henry-Jack, Gideon Kautai, Antonio Ripata, Te Puhi Rudolph, Ezekiel Sopoaga, Tokahirere Sopoaga, Tupou Sopoaga, Junior Taia, Materua Tupou, Ben Tou and Tevita Yamaraki (all Cook Islands) made their international debuts.

References

^ rugbybworldcup.com. "QUALIFICATION PROCESS SET FOR RUGBY WORLD CUP 2023".
^ A step closer to the Rugby World Cup
^ "Cook Islands advance to 2023 Rugby World Cup qualifier after cancellation of Oceania Championships". Pacific Media Network. 30 April 2021. Archived from the original on 30 April 2021.
^ World Rugby and unions confirm men’s July test schedule

Notes

^ Swapped appointments with Brendon Pickerill (Australia v France) after travel restrictions changed between Australia and New Zealand and Williams was unable to travel to Australia.

External links

Rugby World Cup Official Site

2023 Rugby World Cup

Stages

Qualification

Africa
Americas
Asia (2022 ARC)
Europe (2021 REC, 2022 REC)
Oceania
Regional play-off and Final Qualification Tournament

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