| Epson Cup logo introduced in 1999 | |
| Sport | Rugby union |
|---|---|
| First season | 1996 |
| Ceased | 2001 |
| No. of teams | 6 |
| Last champion(s) | |
| Most titles | |
The Pacific Rim Rugby Championship, also known as the Epson Cup for sponsorship purposes, [1] was an international rugby union tournament contested by national teams from around the Pacific. [2] [3] The championship was held annually between 1996 and 2001.
The competition was run by the International Rugby Board. [4] In the first three tournaments, Canada, United States, Japan and Hong Kong competed for the championship. The competition was expanded to six teams in 1999 with the Pacific Tri-Nations teams Fiji, Samoa and Tonga replacing Hong Kong for the last three tournaments.
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Third place | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | [5] [6] | |||
| 1997 | [7] | |||
| 1998 | [8] | |||
| 1999 | [9] | |||
| 2000 | [10] | |||
| 2001 | [11] |
The Epson Cup series ended at the completion of the original sponsorship deal, but the Pacific Tri-Nations tournament continued for the next three years until the IRB expanded that competition to form the Pacific Nations Cup in 2006 (also known as the Pacific Six Nations). [12] [13]
The Pacific Nations Cup, including Japan, Fiji, Samoa and Tonga, was expanded again in 2012 with Canada and the United States joining the competition. [14]
The United States, Russia, China, Japan, and eventually Canada and Romania, played in the Super Powers Cup (later renamed the Super Cup) from 2003 to 2005. [15]