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Dublin - Tier Two and Three nations will play an unprecedented 21 matches during the November 2012 window as part of the 10 million Strategic Investment Programme, the International Rugby Board announced on Wednesday.
Canada, Chile, Fiji, Georgia, Japan, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Samoa, Tonga, Uruguay and the United States will all be in action, with the three Pacific Island teams facing up against top level opposition, rugby union's world governing body said.
"The matches, which feature 12 IRB Strategic Investment Unions are in addition to the Tier One v Tier Two fixtures within the international tours and Test schedule approved by the IRB Council in 2010," the IRB said.
IRB Chairperson Bernard Lapasset said: "This is an exciting development for the global game.
"The IRB is committed to facilitating an annual international competition schedule for our Tier Two Unions and these matches will be crucial to ensuring that there is increased competitiveness on the global stage and at Rugby World Cup 2015.
"There will be an unprecedented number of international fixtures across Europe in November, which will give sports fans a taste of what to expect in 2015 when England hosts the world's top 20 nations for Rugby World Cup."
Samoa, Tonga and Fiji each have two Tier 1 fixtures in addition to a third fixture against a Tier Two Union. Fiji also have a mid-week fixture against Gloucester.
A series of Tier Two v Tier Two fixtures have been arranged in the North Wales town of Colwyn Bay between Russia, USA, Samoa, Canada and Tonga.
In addition, Georgia will host Japan and Fiji, and Romania will host USA, for the first time in their histories.
Portugal will tour South America for a two-test series against Uruguay and Chile, Japan will play a Basque selection in San Sebastian and the French Barbarians in Le Havre, and Canada will play the Maori All Blacks in Oxford.
Namibia have opted not to tour Europe in November.
Strategic Investment Union 2012 November Schedule:
November 3
At Oxford, England
Russia v Oxford University
November 9
At Colwyn Bay, Wales
Russia v USA
Samoa v Canada
November 10
At Brescia, Italy
Italy v Tonga
At London
England v Fiji
At Bucharest
Romania v Japan
November 11
At Montevideo
Uruguay v Portugal
November 13
At Gloucester, England
Gloucester v Fiji
November 16
At Cardiff
Wales v Samoa
November 17
At Limerick, Ireland
Ireland XV v Fiji
At Tbilisi
Georgia v Japan
At Colwyn Bay, Wales
Tonga v USA
Canada v Russia
At Santiago
Chile v Portugal
November 21
At San Sebastian, Spain
Basque Selection v Japan
November 23
At Oxford, England
Canada v Maori All Blacks
November 24
At Paris
France v Samoa
At Aberdeen, Scotland
Scotland v Tonga
At Bucharest
Romania v USA
At Tbilisi
Georgia v Fiji
November 25
At Le Havre, France
French Barbarians v Japan
