Fiji played their Nations Championship ‘home’ match against England at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Merseyside, nearly 10,000 miles from Suva, because the tournament requires a minimum venue capacity of 25,000—a rule that prioritizes revenue over traditional home advantage. The Fijian Rugby Union earned more from this fixture than they would have in their capital, but fans and officials lament the loss of home support and conditions that could have altered results.
Stadium size rules force relocation
The Nations Championship, a 21st-century tournament designed for television, stipulates that all venues must seat at least 25,000 spectators. Fiji’s national stadium in Suva holds only 15,000, as seen during their raucous 15-point victory over Scotland last year. Consequently, Fiji’s ‘home’ games are played abroad—first in Cardiff against Scotland, then at Everton’s ground on Merseyside, and next week at Murrayfield, where they will again be the designated home team despite the tournament’s neutral-venue rule.
Fiji Rugby CEO John O’Connor said the money generated will fund a new 30,000-seat stadium in Suva. However, the Cardiff match against Scotland barely turned a profit, netting approximately $500,000 (£373,000). Fans interviewed were adamant that Fiji would have beaten Wales last week had the match been held in Suva, citing familiar conditions and crowd support.
Fijian diaspora creates makeshift home atmosphere
The Fijian organising committee worked since February to replicate a home environment. They set up a fan zone with a stage, merchandise trucks, food stalls, and performances by Paradise Rootz and a gospel choir. Forty men in traditional likuvau charged around the grounds, and a war dance preceded kick-off. “Bit different to what we usually get here,” remarked a local police officer. Despite these efforts, the 50,000-strong crowd largely ignored calls to chant “Go Fiji,” instead supporting England, who led 58-0 at one point.
“We’re a small team, only nine people,” said a committee member. “We’ve been working on this since February.” The diaspora gathered, but the team’s performance—a 58-point loss—gave fans little to celebrate.
Japan also forced to relocate home match
Fiji is not alone. Japan played their ‘home’ match against Ireland in Newcastle, New South Wales, despite beating Italy at Tokyo’s 25,000-seat Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium last week. Ireland, a founding member of the tournament, refused to travel to Japan between their win over Australia in Sydney and their upcoming match against New Zealand in Auckland.
“You know why we’re playing Ireland in Newcastle? Ireland have all the power at World Rugby,” said Japan’s head coach Eddie Jones. “So we have to play our home game, that should be in Tokyo, in Australia to make sure Ireland don’t have to travel too much – let’s be frank about it. We have to just suck it up.”
Grueling schedule undermines player welfare and sustainability
The tournament schedule is punishing. England’s itinerary includes 41,000km of travel in three weeks—enough to circumnavigate the planet. This strains players, alienates fans, and contradicts World Rugby’s environmental sustainability plans. The Nations Championship, designed primarily for television, has abandoned traditional values like a level playing field in favor of commercial interests.
