The Pacific Nations Cup has been reimagined and is set to deliver a host of brilliant games involving six teams with very different styles of play.

The cross-regional competition will take place between 23 August – 21 September and the good news is that fans not able to attend the matches in person can watch all 11 matches live on RugbyPass TV or through broadcast partners in certain markets.

Fiji take on Samoa in the first match of the mouth-watering schedule and to tee things up for you, we’ve taken a trek down memory lane to highlight some classic matches of the past, including the eight-try thriller between the two teams in 2015.

Tonga 17-20 Japan, Coffs Harbour, 2007

Brave Blossoms head coach John Kirwan hailed Japan’s first Pacific Nations Cup win as “a great day for Japanese rugby”. Tonga were ranked two places higher than Japan at the time but two tries from Kosuke Endo and Hitoshi Ono gave the Brave Blossoms their first win in the fixture for eight years.

Eiji Ando converted both scores and also slotted two penalties as Japan held on for a famous victory, despite conceding two tries in the final four minutes. The emphatic jubilation of the Japan squad at the final whistle showed just how much it meant to a team that had previously never won in the competition.

Fiji 15-21 Tonga, Lautoka, 2007

Tonga scored three unanswered tries in the second half to win on Fijian soil for the first time since June 1993. The Tongans had never won at Churchill Park in Lautoka in 44 years of trying – their most recent win was in Suva – and they appeared to have little chance of ending that miserable record after falling 15-5 behind at half-time.

Debutant full-back Mesiu Lemoto was having a torrid match with the boot and Tonga still trailed by nine points as the hour mark passed. However, two tries in the space of six minutes from Suka Hufanga and Aleki Lutui put them in front for the first time in the match at 16-15. Number eight Samiu Vahafalau confirmed the amazing comeback win with Tonga’s third try, which again went unconverted, deep into added time.

Fiji 40-39 Japan, Suva, 2009

The Pacific Nations Cup title had already been decided by the time the teams met in the final match of the 2009 tournament, however the match was anything but an anti-climax. Vereniki Goneva’s try on the stroke of half-time gave Fiji a 20-14 lead at the turnaround and the home crowd probably anticipated an easy ride in the second half.

However, Takashi Kikutani’s double put Japan into what appeared to be a winnable position until two tries in the last eight minutes rescued Fiji. Seremaia Baikeinuku still needed to kick the final conversion three minutes into stoppage time and he duly obliged to send his teammates and thousands of home supporters into delirious celebration.

Canada 20-18 Fiji, Ottawa, 2013

Canada took the game to the visitors from the off and were rewarded when their captain, Aaron Carpenter, scored their first try, breaking Al Charron’s Canada record for most test tries by a forward in the process. Nevertheless, Nemani Nadolo’s try ensured Fiji had an 11-10 lead at the break.

Canada upped their physicality in the second half and despite Akapusi Qera’s try making for a nail-biting finish to the match, second-half tries from Harry Jones and Ray Barkwill proved enough for Canada to celebrate their first win over Fiji since 1995. Despite the setback, Fiji went on to be crowned PNC champions for the first time while Canada had to settle for second place.

USA 38-35 Canada, Sacramento, 2014

USA stepped out of the shadows of their North American rivals and into the glare of the bright Californian sunshine to stylishly register their first win over Canada in eight attempts. A sold-out crowd at Bonney Field watched on as the Eagles served up a classic comeback win.

All looked well for the Men’s Eagles when two Chris Wyles penalties put them into an early 6-0 lead, however Canada roared back and after a run of 21 unanswered points they went into half-time with a 28-18 advantage. That lead grew to 17 points within minutes of the restart, but Blaine Scully’s second try of the match and one from debutant Brett Thompson turned the tide and the USA closed out a win that secured them second place in the competition overall.

Fiji 39-29 Samoa, Burnaby, 2015

An eight-try classic that fully lived up to its pre-match hype unlike so many other title deciders.

Both sides scored some wonderful tries, but Fiji came out on top to end a four-year period without a win against Samoa. As well as displaying their running rugby skills, Fiji were defensively strong in the first half and managed to restrict Samoa to three Mike Stanley penalties to lead 17-9 at the break.

Fiji set the tone early on when the long-striding Leone Nakarawa strolled between the poles with the ball triumphantly raised in one hand. But they only managed one more try before the break through Player-of-the-Match Nikola Matawalu. Nakarawa scored a second on 51 minutes but by then, Samoa had twice found a way through with Jack Lam and Fa'atoina Autagavaia dotting down. Autagavaia got a second 11 minutes from time but quickfire tries from Kini Murimurivalu and Akapusi Qera had given Fiji enough breathing space by then.