Defending champions Japan will host this year’s Pacific Nations Cup rugby tournament, a year after being forced to relinquish the event after the devastating earthquake and tsunami.

The International Rugby Board said the experience of staging the tournament would boost Japan’s preparations for hosting the 2019 World Cup and underscore the growth of rugby in Asia, saying participation has grown 18 per cent since 2007.

Five of the six matches in the tournament, involving Fiji, Samoa, Japan and Tonga, will be played in Japan from June 5 to 17.

The final match in the round-robin competition, between Fiji and Tonga, will be played at Lautoka, Fiji on June 23.

The tournament schedule includes a split final round to accommodate Tests played by Scotland in Fiji on June 16 and Samoa on June 23.