Cook Islands national rugby league team

The Cook Islands national rugby league team has been participating in international competition since 1988.

Before 1995, the Cooks’ international experience had been limited to taking part in the Pacific Cup, and hosting a couple of games against the touring BARLA Great Britain Amateur teams. But, with a sizeable number of expatriate Cook Islanders living and playing in New Zealand, they have never been short of players with hardened rugby league experience.

They won the 1995 Emerging Nations tournament hammering both the USA and Russia, before beating Scotland and then Ireland in the final.

Since then, the Cook Islands have played in the Super League World Nines in 1996 and ’97, and played several full internationals against other South Pacific nations, most notably when they took part in a hard fought series against Papua New Guinea, Tonga and the New Zealand Maori in the Papua New Guinea Rugby League’s 50th anniversary tournament in October 1998.

The Cook Islands appeared in the first time in 2000.

In July 2005 the Cook Islands hosted the Australian Affliated States team (which comprises played from the states of Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. The Affiliated States team won the series 2-0.

Staff

• President, Cook Islands Rugby League: Charles Carlson
• Selectors: Kevin Iro, Charles Carlson, Ina Konito and No'ora Samuela
• Head Coach: Ina Konito
• Defensive Coach: Matty Rua
• Attacking Coach: Kevin Iro

Competitions

The Cook Islands have participated in:

• Pacific Cup (since 1988)
• World Cup (since 1995)
• Superleague World Nines (1996,1997)
• Superleague Oceania Tournament (1997)
• Papua New Guinea 50th Anniversay Tournament (1998)
• Pacific Rim Competition (2004)

Results

• Cook Islands def. New Zealand Maoris 46-4 (23 October 2004)
• Cook Islands def. Fiji 20-12 (21 October 2004)
• Cook Islands def. American Samoa (20 October 2004)
• Cook Islands def. Tonga 18-10 (19 October 2004)
• Tonga def. Cook Islands 22-17 (17 October 2004)
• Tonga def. Cook Islands 38-30 (4 October 2004)
• Cook Islands def. Fiji 22-14 (27 August 2004)
• Cook Islands def. Fiji 36-24 (17 August 2004)
• Cook Islands drew with Lebanon 22-22 (5 November 2000)
• New Zealand def. Cook Islands 84-10 (2 November 2000)
• Wales def. Cook Islands 38-6 (29 October 2000)
• Tonga def. Cook Islands 34-4 (1999)
• Tonga def. Cook Islands 42-2 (1999)
• Tonga def. Cook Islands 28-13) (1999)
• Cook Islands def. Tokelau 22-16 (1998)
• American Samoa def. Cook Islands 40-34 (1998)
• New Zealand Maoris def. Cook Islands 28-6 (1998)
• Tonga def. Cook Islands 30-22 (1998)
• Cook Islands def. New Zealand Maoris 16-8 (1998)
• Papua New Guinea def. Cook Islands 46-6 (1998)
• New Zealand Maoris def. Cook Islands 24-4 (1998)
• Cook Islands def. New Zealand Maoris 18-10 (1998)
• New Zealand Maoris def. Cook Islands 24-14 (1998)
• Tonga def. Cook Islands 16-8 (1998)
• Papua New Guinea def. Cook Islands 34-14 (1997)
• Papua New Guinea def. Cook Islands 38-14 (1997)
• Cook Islands def. Fiji 22-14 (1997)
• Fiji def. Cook Islands 14-8 (1996)
• Cook Islands def. Ireland 10-6 (24 October 1995)
• Cook Islands def. Scotland 21-10 (20 October 1995)
• Cook Islands def. Russia 58-4 (18 October 1995)
• Cook Islands def. USA 64-8 (16 October 1995)
• Western Samoa def. Cook Islands 66-12 (1992)
• Tonga def. Cook Islands 26-6 (1992)
• Fiji def. Cook Islands 58-6 (1992)
• Cook Islands def. Nuie 23-22 (1992)
• Western Samoa def. Cook Islands 52-16 (1988)
• Cook Islands def. Tokelau 19-10 (1988)
• New Zealand Maoris def. Cook Islands 70-10 (1988)