Rugby League: South Pacific to scale new heights: World Cup tournament to mark centenary

FIJI, Tonga and Western Samoa, and possibly South Africa and the CIS, will play in a World Cup tournament in Britain to mark the game's centenary in October 1995.

The International Board has given its approval to an eight- team, month-long competition, including three of the code's newest converts. The game has made considerable progress in the island nations of the South Pacific, and the Fijians and Samoans performed with credit in the World Sevens in Sydney in February. Fiji play their first full international, against Papua New Guinea, later this month.

Two teams from South Africa, the CIS and the Cook Islands will join the draw if they make sufficient progress over the next year. The tournament will begin in two groups with Great Britain v Australia earmarked for the opening event.

WORLD CUP DRAW Group One: Great Britain, Australia, Western Samoa, Tonga. Group Two: New Zealand, France, Papua New Guinea, Fiji.