WELLINGTON (AFP) - Fiji made rugby fans sit up and take notice at last year's World Cup and are determined to translate that success to the Pacific Nations Cup starting this week.

They join island neighbours Tonga, who also had a strong World Cup, Samoa, Japan, Australia A and newcomers the Maori All Blacks, who are replacing the Junior All Blacks in the two-year-old competition.

International Rugby Board general manager for the Pacific region, William Glenwright, credited the World Cup successes of Fiji and Tonga in part to the regional competition.

The Pacific Island countries have traditionally suffered from a drought of international exposure despite the players' abundant talent.

The International Rugby Board devised the Pacific Nations Cup to fill the gap, and Glenwright said the benefits should be even more evident at the 2011 World Cup.

"It is certainly within our plans and aspirations to have at least one Pacific Island team in the (World Cup) semi-finals," Glenwright told the Fiji Times last week.

Fiji coach Ilie Tabua has most of his squad available from last year, when they gave eventual champions South Africa a jolt in the quarter-finals before losing 37-20.

Tabua said he will blooding some new players at the Cup, a move he sees as a positive. "The World Cup is gone, this is a new era," he told reporters, adding Fiji was aiming to perform more consistently.

Captain Mosese Rauluni, who has reversed his decision to retire after the World Cup, said Fiji would be looking to improve its previously patchy Pacific Nations Cup form.

Fiji finished fourth last year behind Samoa, Australia A and champions the Junior All Blacks, and Rauluni said his team aimed at becoming the dominant force in Pacific islands rugby.

"We've all agreed that the standard at the World Cup is the benchmark for us to meet and we cannot accept anything else," he said.

"We know how we can play and we need to keep playing that way."

Fiji open their campaign against Samoa at home in Lautoka on Saturday. The Samoans are rebuilding after a disappointing World Cup, where they lost to local rivals Tonga.

The Tongans also exceeded expectations at the World Cup, where they stretched England and South Africa in pool play, but will face a tough start to the Pacific Nations Cup on Saturday against the Maori All Blacks in Auckland.

The inclusion of the Maori team in place of the Junior All Blacks is intended to make the Cup more competitive after the Juniors romped home last year, scoring 228 points and conceding only 34 to win for the second year running.

Although the Maori team should not be as dominant as the Juniors, the squad includes classy All Blacks fringe players including flanker Daniel Braid, flyhalf Stephen Brett, lock Jason Eaton and scrumhalf Piri Weepu.

"This year will be the first time in a while that we will play five matches on consecutive weekends and that will be a huge test for the team," Maori coach Donny Stevenson said.

Australia A, who finished runners up last year, take on last year's wooden spooners Japan in Fukuoka on Sunday.

Japan has struggled in the competition but has the advantage of recent game time after winning the inaugural Asian Five Nations competition last month.