The team is classified as a tier three nation by the International Rugby Board (IRB), and they have yet to qualify for a Rugby World Cup. They made their international debut in 1966. The team is nicknamed the Tuskers, after the pig tusks prized as currency in some parts of the country. The tusks also appear on the country's flag.
Vanuatu were involved in the Oceania qualifying tournaments for the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France. They were a part of the Round 1a group, with the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. They lost their first match at home to the Solomon Islands 12 to 20, and lost the second match away to Papua New Guinea 97 to 3, and did not proceed to the next round.
