Played in Suva as part of the 2017 Rugby World Cup qualifying process, the three teams initially nominated for the tournament were Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Samoa. With their long history of World Cup participation, Samoa seemed to be favourites to become the region's entry. However, in a surprise move, Oceania Rugby refused Samoa's participation on the same grounds as World Rugby had barred Kenya and Uganda from African regional qualification – the lack of a robust domestic women’s fifteens rugby tournament (almost all of Samoa’s squads in past years had come from players living and playing in New Zealand and Australia). As such, the championship was decided in a one-off match between the remaining two teams, with Fiji winning to advance to the Repechage tournament in Hong Kong.
The tournament was held in Lautoka, Fiji as a single round-robin contested by Fiji, Samoa and Hong Kong. Samoa won both their matches to claim the title.[2]
The 2019 championship, held in Fiji, was the 2021 Rugby World Cup qualifier for the Oceania region.[5] The tournament was played at Churchill Park in Lautoka from 18–30 November 2019, with six teams entered.[6] Australia and New Zealand sent development teams, having already qualified for the 2021 World Cup.[6]
A split pool format was used for the Oceania tournament, with the teams seeded into two pools of three. Each team was scheduled to play one match against each of the teams in the opposite pool.[7] However, following a measles outbreak in Tonga, the Tongan women's team had to withdraw from competition after one of their players arriving in Fiji was suspected of having measles.[8] The tournament continued without playing their fixtures but a revised qualification process was put in place to allow Tonga to challenge later for the Oceania berth at the Rugby World Cup repechage qualifier.[8]
The Black Ferns Development XV were undefeated in the tournament and won the 2019 Oceania Rugby Women's Championship [9] based on the combined pool standings, with Australia A as runner-up. Qualification to the World Cup remained up for grabs in Lautoka for the remaining three nations (excluding Australia and New Zealand). Fiji won direct entry to the World Cup by defeating Samoa in the qualifying playoff match.[10]
Arrangements were made for a playoff match in early 2020 between Tonga and Papua New Guinea, with the winner to meet Samoa in another playoff match to decide the World Cup repechage berth.[8]
Samoa and Fiji played in the World Cup qualifier match at Lautoka.[10] Due to Tonga's absence, a consolation match was arranged for Papua New Guinea against a Fiji developmental team.[10]
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (February 2020)
Tonga traveled to Port Moresby in March the following year and defeated Papua New Guinea to set up a playoff against Samoa to determine who qualified for the repechage tournament.
Fiji
Papua New Guinea
Samoa
Tonga![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small}
Black Ferns XV
Australia A
Hong Kong
Black Ferns Dev. XV
Samoa
Tonga
Australia A
Fiji
Papua New Guinea