Japan climb back into World Rugby top 10 after edging Fiji in Pacific Nations Cup final

Japan climbed back into the World Rugby Men’s Rankings top 10 on Sunday after defeating Fiji 20-15 in the Asahi Pacific Nations Cup final at Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium in Tokyo, ending a two-year absence from the elite tier of the global standings.

Eddie Jones’s Brave Blossoms had lost the previous two finals to Fiji, making Sunday’s victory their third attempt at the title. Tries from Mamoru Harada, Ben Gunter and Samisoni Tua, supplemented by five points from Sam Greene’s boot, proved enough to secure the win.

The result propelled Japan three places up the rankings to ninth — their highest position since March 2023 and the first time they have featured in the top 10 since August of that year. Fiji, meanwhile, dropped one place to 10th, a shift that pushed Wales down to 11th and Italy to 12th, ending both Six Nations sides’ spells inside the top 10.

Elsewhere in the Pacific Nations Cup, Canada claimed third place with a 19-16 win over the United States, backing up their 34-20 victory over the Eagles in last year’s competition. That result lifted Canada two places to 22nd, their highest ranking since November 2024. The USA fell one place to 15th, with Portugal moving up to 14th as a consequence.

The updated top 10, once officially confirmed by World Rugby, reads: South Africa (95.09), New Zealand (91.15), Ireland (88.08), France (87.43), England (85.68), Scotland (84.78), Australia (83.55), Argentina (82.24), Japan (77.28) and Fiji (76.81).

With fewer than three ranking points separating the teams placed 15th through 20th, further movement looks likely when the World Rugby Nations Cup resumes in November.