Oceania Cup returns in 2020 with three double-headers

The Oceania Cup will return in 2020, with three double-headers taking place throughout the year.

In 2020, Pool A features No. 1 ranked side New Zealand, Tonga and 2019 Oceania Shield champions Fiji.

In Pool B, the Cook Islands join Samoa and Papua New Guinea after recently qualifying for the 2021 World Cup.

Australia, who lifted the Oceania Cup in 2019, depart the tournament this year as they travel over to England to take part in the three-match Ashes series.

The 2020 schedule will see a mid-season June double-header featuring New Zealand taking on Tonga, while Samoa will face the Cook Islands.

The remaining two double-headers will be played in October at the end of the respective NRL and Super League seasons. This will see Tonga play Fiji and Samoa take on Papua New Guinea.

And this will be followed by New Zealand facing Fiji and Papua New Guinea lining up against the Cook Islands where the Oceania Cup (Pool A) and Oceania Shield (Pool B) will be decided.

The dates and locations of the three Oceania Cup double-headers will be announced in the coming weeks.

This year will also see the Pacific test, which was played in Sydney in recent years, incorporated into the Oceania Cup to ensure a consistent tournament structure for the Pacific.

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