All Blacks hooker Dane Coles criticized World Rugby for excluding Pacific island nations from its proposed Nations Championship plans, calling the governing body's approach dismissive of regional stakeholders.
Coles, a 60-Test veteran, expressed frustration over the absence of Pacific teams like Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga from initial proposals for the 12-nation competition. 'Those countries do a lot for world rugby, so them not being included in any plans was what pissed me off,' he said ahead of a Super Rugby match against Otago Highlanders.
World Rugby later clarified that promotion-relegation mechanisms would allow Pacific nations access to the top tier, but Coles argued the process lacked player input. 'You can't just have these guys at World Rugby making these decisions without the players' input,' he stated.
The controversy follows longstanding criticisms of Super Rugby's exclusion of Pacific island teams despite their significant contribution to southern hemisphere rugby talent. A proposed Pacific islands Super Rugby team was abandoned in 2022 due to commercial viability concerns.
The All Blacks have also faced scrutiny for limited engagement with Pacific neighbors, having played only one Test in Samoa in 2015.
