Asahi Super Dry Pacific Nations Cup 2026 To Feature Fewer Teams – Hosted in Japan

A shortened Asahi Super Dry Pacific Nations Cup 2026 will be hosted in Japan from 12-19 September, featuring the hosts, the defending champions Fiji, as well as Canada and the USA. Neither Samoa nor Tonga will feature.

Asahi Breweries Limited have come on board as the Title Partner and Official Beer of the Asahi Super Dry Pacific Nations Cup 2026 – this will be the third year that Asahi Super Dry serves as Title Partner for the tournament. They were the first Asian company to sign a top-tier global partnership agreement with World Rugby for Rugby World Cup 2023 in France.

Michel Poussau, World Rugby Chief Revenue Officer, said: “The tournament plays an important role in the global rugby calendar, helping to drive competitiveness and grow the game across the Pacific region and beyond.

Asahi’s continued commitment to rugby reflects our shared ambition to deliver exceptional experiences for fans, support the development of the game and celebrate the unique spirit and culture of rugby.

With the tournament taking place in Japan, a key rugby market and home to Asahi, this partnership is the perfect collaboration, and we look forward to working together to make the Asahi Super Dry Pacific Nations Cup 2026 a memorable tournament.”

Photo Credit – JRFU – PNC Final 2025

In total, this will be the 17th edition of the tournament, and the format means it will be semifinals and finals over two matchdays. The semifinals will be played in Osaka at the Hanazono Rugby Stadium on September 12th before the finals are played at Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium in Tokyo on 19 September.

A World Rugby press release said the shorter format comes about due to the “broader transformation of the international calendar with competitions aligned with the inaugural Nations Championship and World Rugby Nations Cup, providing cross-over opportunities for participating unions.”

World Rugby added that despite neither Samoa nor Tonga being involved in the 2026 Asahi Super Dry Pacific Nations Cup, “both unions will continue to receive targeted high-performance support and funding from World Rugby.”

Takeshi Furusawa, Managing Corporate Officer, Head of Marketing, Asahi Breweries, Ltd, said: “The final tournament held in Japan in 2024 generated tremendous excitement, and we look forward to even greater enthusiasm for the 2026 competition.

Through the stadiums of this tournament as well, we will enhance the spectator experience and contribute to the excitement of the event by offering rugby fans the distinctive taste, KARAKUCHI of Super Dry. Together with all the players and rugby fans around the world, we will continue to create ‘moments of excitement’ through Super Dry.”

Asahi Super Dry Pacific Nations Cup 2026 Schedule

Fiji will be looking to make it a three-peat, and they have beaten the Brave Blossoms in both previous two years finals.

Fiji and Japan are both competing in the World Rugby Nations Championship, while Canada and the USA feature in the Nations Cup in 2026 – all four teams will feature at Rugby World Cup 2027.

Japan head coach Eddie Jones said: “The Asahi Super Dry Pacific Nations Cup 2026 is an important tournament for Japan. It allows us to develop our talent versus the best of the Pacific. Hosting the tournament is a great honour and will entertain our fans with Cho-Soku Rugby.”

All times local (GMT+9)

Saturday, 12 September – Semi-finals, Hanazono Rugby Stadium, Osaka

• 16:00 – Fiji v Canada
• 19:05 – Japan v USA

Saturday, 19 September – Finals day, Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium, Tokyo

• 16:00 – Third place play-off
• 19:05 – Final

Ticket information, TV broadcast schedules, and streaming schedules will be announced in due course.

It should be noted that at the same time, Hong Kong will host the WXV Global Series Challenger 2026 from 13 September to 26 September 2026, with the tournament’s nine matches to be played as three triple-header matchdays, all to be held at the Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground.

Asian Rugby Tournaments 2026

• Asian International Rugby Tournaments 2026.
• JRLO 2026-2027 Season Will Kick-Off On December 12.
• Brave Blossoms 2026 Home Tests and Venues Confirmed.
• Understanding The Nations Championship 2026.