World Rugby has announced the dates for this year’s Pacific Challenge in Fiji.

Six teams will take part in the key development tournament at the ANZ Stadium in Suva. Hosts Fiji A will be joined by their island neighbours Tonga A and Samoa A, Japan Juniors, Argentina PAMPAS XV and newcomers Canada A.

The round robin competition will run from 10-23 March, with match days on 10, 14 and 18 March and the final held on 23 March.

The Pacific Challenge (formerly known as the Pacific Rugby Cup) will provide a great platform for local players to put their hands up for Rugby World Cup 2015 selection as all six countries get ready for the pinnacle tournament in September.

A new format is in place for this year’s tournament, with Canada joining the competition and all the games taking place in Fiji over the two-week period.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE PACIFIC CHALLENGE SCHEDULE >>

World Rugby Head of Competitions and Performance Mark Egan said: “The Pacific Challenge is a key developmental tournament, and has added significance for teams in this Rugby World Cup year.

“Creating a quality competition pathway for our high performance investment programme unions is one of World Rugby’s strategic aims and the Pacific Challenge helps local and academy players get beneficial game time, exposure to a high performance tournament environment and potentially attract the attention of the national team coaches.

“The World Rugby Pacific Challenge 2015 provides a significant opportunity for teams to not only test their high-performance systems but will also provide a platform for players to showcase their talents against quality and skilled opposition, and potentially push for final Rugby World Cup 2015 squad selection.”

Details on where rugby fans can watch the event will be announced in due course.

Between 2009 and 2012 World Rugby invested around £16 million in Pacific Islands rugby. It is forecast that a further £19 million will be invested between 2013 and 2016 through development, regional tournaments and high-performance programmes. This funding is aimed at raising performances and providing the necessary infrastructure and support to continue to compete at the highest level.