Australia want first crack at the Islanders

Australia wants to be the first country to face a combined Pacific Islands team when they begin playing internationals next season.

The Australian Rugby Union (ARU) said it will offer the combined team from Fiji, Samoa and Tonga a test against the Wallabies.

An ARU spokesman said: "Australia will be very keen to play them next year, and we really want to be the first cab off the rank.

The International Rugby Board (IRB) agreed earlier this month to allow the combined team to start playing internationals from 2004 in a concept similar to the Lions.

The Pacific Islanders Rugby Alliance (Pira) had originally floated the idea of fielding a joint team in 2002, but it was rejected by the IRB.

However, the concept was finally given approval at an IRB meeting in Dublin after the ARU managing director John O'Neill said the idea had the support of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

The ARU spokesman said: "We have argued strongly in their favour for a long time and we believe the concept has great merit."

Pira said that Fiji, Tonga and Samoa would play a triangular series next June before selecting their combined team.

They hope to play the three major southern-hemisphere nations before embarking on an end of season tour to Europe.