6 August 2025
The Kiwis and Kiwi Ferns are back on home soil for 2025, with New Zealand Rugby League, in partnership with the NRL, set to host four exciting Test matches as part of the Pacific Championships.
This will see a double-header between the Kiwis and Kiwi Ferns and Toa Samoa and Fetu Samoa respectively at Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s Go Media Stadium on Sunday 19 October.
Then on Sunday 2 November another fiercely contested double-header will take place at Eden Park with the Kiwi Ferns taking on the Australian Jillaroos before the Kiwis face Tonga.
“Rugby league Test matches don’t get much better than the Pacific clashes set to be held in Aotearoa this year,” says NZRL CEO Greg Peters.
“We know the staunchly proud Tongan and Samoan fans especially will come out in force, celebrating their teams and culture in what will be unmissable matches.
“With the growth of the women’s game too, having the Kiwi Ferns back in Auckland for two matches this year, where they have a strong supporter base, is pivotal in inspiring the next generation of female fans and young players in the game.”
Set against a near sell-out crowd last year, Pacific rivals Tonga took down the Kiwis in a thrilling 25-24 match. This year the Kiwis will be looking to not only reverse the result but make a statement in the competition as they look to the Rugby League World Cup in 2026.
With current champions, the Australian Kangaroos, heading to the Northern Hemisphere, the title is up for grabs, and the Kiwis will be wanting to lift the trophy again after winning the inaugural championships in 2023.
The Kiwi Ferns too will be looking to claim back their 2023 title, a series that saw them defeat the Australian Jillaroos for the first time in 7 years. Those heroics unfortunately couldn’t be repeated last year, going down in the final 24-4 to the Jillaroos.
The match-up against Fetu Samoa will however offer the Kiwi Ferns a new test, having not played Samoa since 2020.
Tickets go on sale via Ticketek Wednesday 13 August at 12pm. Sign up to NZRL’s Kiwi Membership (from 12pm, Thursday 7 August) or Ticketek to access exclusive pre-sale details.
The Pacific Championships features two tiers – the Pacific Cup and the Pacific Bowl – with the competing nations going head-to-head in a round robin format before the top two teams in each tier head to the finals, to be played again at CommBank Stadium in Sydney, Australia.
Sunday 19 October – Go Media Stadium, Auckland
Sunday 2 November – Eden Park, Auckland
Sunday 9 November – CommBank Stadium, Sydney
