Team changes Following the results of the promotion / relegation playoffs in
2024,
New Zealand remained in the Men's Pacific Cup, while
Samoa were promoted to the Women's Pacific Cup after defeating
Papua New Guinea. 2025 saw the
return of the Ashes between
Australia and
England. The series was originally set to be held in Australia, though switched to England due to Australia hosting the
2026 Rugby League World Cup. As a result, Australia did not compete in the Men's Pacific Cup.
Samoa took their place after returning to the competition following their
2024 tour of England. Originally, a
women's Ashes series was also scheduled, however this never materialised and
Australia were confirmed as participants for the Women's Pacific Cup on 22 July. Furthermore, the
Cook Islands, while still participating in the tournament, hosted
South Africa for a place in the
2026 Men's World Cup, with the match being played as a curtain raiser to the Cup finals. Conversely,
Fiji were unavailable for the Women's Pacific Bowl due to competing in
World Cup qualifiers in Canada.
Squads Men's teams • (ranked 1st) undertook a
tour of England with three tests scheduled for consecutive Saturdays: 25 October, 1 November, and 8 November 2025.
Kevin Walters was appointed coach. The 2024 captain
Talei Holmes was initially named in the extended squad but was not named in the final squad. == Venues ==