Pacific / Fiji

Flying Fijians set to take on Six Nations rugby giants

08:44 am on 28 July 2020

The Flying Fijians are set to feature in an eight-team tournament alongside Japan and the Six Nations rugby countries.

The BBC reported the tournament will begin on 14 November, two weeks after the completion of the Six Nations Championship, which was postponed because of Covid-19.

The Flying Fijians during the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Photo: PHOTOSPORT

The report said Fiji were likely to be in a four-team pool alongside England, Wales and Ireland, while Scotland, France, Italy and Japan would make up the other group.

The tournament will be staged on four consecutive weekends until 5 December, in line with the temporary international window proposed by World Rugby last week.

After playing each other once, the teams would face their corresponding-ranked side in the other pool on the final weekend.

Fiji were beaten 29-17 by Wales in pool play at the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Fiji Rugby Union CEO John O'Connor claimed last week that Fiji was "on the verge of joining the Six Nations Rugby Competition" but a Six Nations representative told the BBC the Pacific Island side was not joining the Northern Hemisphere championship permanently and would only be involved in this proposed eight team tournament in 2020.

Fiji were originally scheduled to face the All Blacks XV in Vancouver at the end of October before taking on Wales and the French Barbarians in November, however the end of year tests were subsequently cancelled in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.