The Fiji Rugby Union is in talks with their Australian counterparts and World Rugby about entering a Fijian team in the National Rugby Championship as early as next season.

The team would be based on the island and play home and away games under a possible expanded NRC competition in 2017, and would be made up of Fiji-based players.

Western Sydney Rams coach John Mugggleton, second-rower Will Skelton and assistant coach Jeremy Paul. Credit:Quentin Jones

The plan, hatched some months ago by Fiji coach John McKee, ARU high performance boss Ben Whitaker and World Rugby high performance general manager Peter Horne, would see World Rugby fund the team under its Oceania program.

It is still some months off official approval but would represent a major coup by the ARU. Australia and New Zealand are often criticised for drawing players from the region but doing little to help Pacific Island nations strengthen their own programs.