Fiji taking rugby to UK

Fiji will be based 16,000 kilometres (10,000 miles) from home for the inaugural Rugby Nations Championship in July. Fiji is staging matches outside of its own country during the tournament but will be considered the home team when it faces Wales, England and Scotland on their turf. The Fijians confirmed on Monday they have organised games against Wales at Cardiff City Stadium on July 4, England at Liverpool’s Hill Dickinson Stadium on July 11, and Scotland at Murrayfield on July 18. Fiji is relieving opponents from trekking to the Pacific islands while at the same time trying to maximise revenue at bigger stadiums.

Wales normally plays at 73,900-seat Principality Stadium and has never appeared at 33,280-seat Cardiff City Stadium, the home of the Wales and Cardiff City soccer teams. Neither has England played at Hill Dickinson Stadium, the 52,700-seat soccer home of Everton which opened last year. As the home team, Fiji intends to turn each venue into celebrations of Fijian music, food and entertainment. “We’ll be bringing the warmth, flavor and spirit of Fiji to life at the match,” Fiji Rugby Union CEO Koli Sewabu said in a statement. “The success of these fixtures will enable us to invest more into grassroots rugby supporting the continued growth and success of the team.”

England will fly to Johannesburg to play world champion South Africa on July 4, return “home” to face Fiji, then head to Santiago del Estero to play Argentina. Scotland will go to Argentina and South Africa and finish at its traditional home against Fiji. The Nations Championship pits the Six Nations teams against the Rugby Championship sides plus Fiji and Japan. In July, the Six Nations sides head to the southern hemisphere and Japan. In November, the Six Nations reciprocate as hosts with the finals at Twickenham.