Rugby union at the Pacific Games has been contested since 1963 when included as one of ten sports at the first games held in Suva, Fiji. Rugby sevens is the form of rugby now played at the Pacific Games, with men's and women's tournaments (for 7-a-side teams) included in the current schedule. The women's competition was added for the first time at the 2011 Pacific Games held in Nouméa.
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Prior to the late 1990s the men's tournament at the South Pacific Games, as it was then known, was contested by national rugby union teams (i.e. 15-a-side). The shorter tournament structure of rugby sevens being better suited to multi-sports events led to the change of format.
In 2014, Australia and New Zealand were invited to participate in some events for the 2015 Pacific Games, and the Australian women's sevens team was subsequently confirmed as a competitor for the women's tournament in Port Moresby.
Rugby sevens is also played at the Pacific Mini Games, and was included for the first time at Pago Pago in 1997.
Men's tournament
The men's tournament is now played as a rugby sevens competition (for 7-a-side teams). Prior to the mid 1990s, the competition was for national rugby union teams (15-a-side). The first two events in 1963 and 1966 were played as round-robin competitions only and, as such, did not include finals.
Women's tournament
Rugby sevens for women was added to the Pacific Games schedule in 2011 at Nouméa.