The Executive Director of the International Rugby Players Association, Rob Nicol, says the formation of a Pacific Island branch gives players from Samoa, Fiji and Tonga a united voice.
The Pacific Island Players Association was formulated last year and launched a few months ago, although it's hoped to be fully up and running in time for the November test window.
Rob Nicol says the Players Association has already developed a working relationship with key decision makers at the IRB and major club teams, and is actively involved in discussions around player release issues and the season structure for 2016 and beyond.
He says it fills a much need support structure for Pacific players.
"What you don't like to see is an individual athlete have to expose themselves because they come out with the issue and they highlight an issue and, if anything, they get labelled with that for the rest of their career. There are a couple of players within the Pacific Island teams at the 2011 World Cup who spoke out, out of frustration, and to a certain extent that's cost them in terms of their rugby careers and that's not the way it should be."
The Executive Director of the International Rugby Players Association, Rob Nicol.
