Pacific Rim Championship

International rugby league tournament

2004 Pacific Rim Championship

Number of teams| 6
Host country|  New Zealand
Winner|  Cook Islands (1st title)

Tournaments

< 1998 Pacific Cup

2006 >

The 2004 Pacific Rim Championship and the 2004 Pacific Cup was the 9th Pacific Cup, a rugby league tournament held between Pacific teams. The tournament was hosted in Auckland and for the first time split into two competitions; The Pacific Rim Championship between national teams and the Pacific Cup between Auckland-based selections. In the final of the Pacific Rim competition the Cook Islands defeated New Zealand Māori 46-6 while Samoa XIII defeated Tonga XIII 52–18 to win the Pacific Cup.

## Background

[edit]

The tournament, organised by both the New Zealand Rugby League and Pacific Island Rugby League Association (PIRLA), was a revival of the Pacific Cup which had not been held since 1997 due to the Super League war. The aim of the Pacific Rim Championship was to promote awareness of the game in the region with a view to re-establishing international fixtures and full contact with the main nations Australia, Great Britain and New Zealand in the near future.

The teams that participated in the 2004 Pacific Rim competition were: Tonga, Fiji, New Zealand Māori, Niue, Samoa and the Cook Islands. The Pacific Cup included Auckland Māori, New Caledonia, Samoa XIII, Tonga XIII and two other teams.

The official opening was held as part of the pre-match programme for the Tri-Nations test match between Australia and the New Zealand Kiwis on 16 October. A colourful parade of flags representing the participating countries was led into the stadium in front of about 20,000 spectators before kick-off.[1]

Matches were played at Waitemata Stadium, Ericsson Stadium and North Harbour Stadium.[1]

## Squads

[edit]

The Pacific Rim competition featured international and New Zealand based players while the Pacific Cup squads were limited to Auckland-based players with the exception of New Caledonia who sent a development squad.[2]

### Pacific Rim squads

[edit]

#### New Zealand Māori

[edit]

New Zealand Māori were coached by Tawera Nikau who was assisted by Terry Hermansson.[3]

Player  | Club

|

Sam Andrews |  Waicoa Bay Stallions
Kurt Cawdron |  Auckland Lions
Taite Daniels |  Northern Storm
Teteira Davis |  Wellington Orcas
Willy Henare |  Auckland Lions
Aoterangi Herangi |  Auckland Lions
Charlie Herekotukutuku |  Canterbury Bulls
Nathan Hohaia |  Taranaki Wildcats
Shane Wallacehoskin |  Taranaki Wildcats
Odell Manuel |  Auckland Lions
Tukua Matthews |  Waicoa Bay Stallions
Vern Moana-Mason |  Waicoa Bay Stallions
Glen Rota |  Auckland Lions
Peter Prime |  Northern Storm
Herewini Rangi |  Eastern Tornadoes
Kererua Savage |  Hawke's Bay Unicorns
Barry Tawera |  Waicoa Bay Stallions
Sonny Whakarau |  Central Falcons
Mike Whakatihi |  Central Falcons
Vince Whare |  Canterbury Bulls

#### Fiji

[edit]

The Fijian squad was composed mainly of locally based players.[4]

Player  | Club

|

Isimeli Soqe |
Iowane Divavesi |
Lusio Tanoa |
Neori Ravono |
Saula Lalagavesi |
Saimoni Ralulu |
Toakula Tuqiri |
Alipate Tuinivata |
Saverio Matairakula |
Atekini Roko |
Sevanaia Koroi |
Asaeli Saravaki |
Marika Koroivui |
Lagilagi Golea |
Semesa Cadrakilagi |
Tevita Volavola |
Joji Nuidamu |
Jone Wesele |
Semisi Tora |

## Pacific Rim Competition

[edit]

### Pool A

[edit]

17 October 2004

Māori  | 54 – 4  |  Niue

|
|

|  |

North Harbour Stadium, Auckland

19 October 2004

Samoa  | 36 – 18  |  Niue

|
|

|  |

Auckland

21 October 2004

Māori  | 70 – 10  |  Samoa

|
|

Try: Davis (3), Hohaia, Herekotukutuku, Moana-Mason, Herangi, Prime, Rangi, Savage, Whakatihi
Goal: Davis (13)  | [5]
| Try: Ropati, Tavita
Goal: Ropati

Ericsson Stadium, Auckland

### Pool B

[edit]

17 October 2004

Fiji  | 6 – 56  |  Tonga

|
|

| report

Auckland

19 October 2004

Cook Islands  | 18 – 10  |  Tonga

|
|

Try: B. Ford, N. Ford, Taia
Goal: Mataora (3)  | [6]
| Try: Sete, Taufaʻao
Goal: Lilo

Auckland

21 October 2004

Cook Islands  | 20 – 12  |  Fiji

|
|

Try: Epati, Glassie, Taia
Goal: Mataora (4)  | [7]
| Try: Saravaki, Soqe
Goal: Tinivata (2)

Auckland

### Bowl Final

[edit]

23 October 2004

Fiji  | 34 – 24  |  Niue

|
|

Try: Saravaki (2) Tora, Karaitiana, Koroi, Tanoa
Goal: Tanoa (4), Saravaki  |  | Try: Ikinofo, Vasau, Pulesea, Pesene, Talafagi
Goal: Logopati (2)

North Harbour Stadium, Auckland

### Grand Final

[edit]

23 October 2004

Cook Islands  | 46 – 4  |  Māori

|
|

Try: B. Ford (3), N. Ford (2), Jeffries, Mitchell, Pritchard, Tuakura
Goal: Mataora (5)  | [8]
| Try: Prime

North Harbour Stadium, Auckland

## Pacific Cup

[edit]

### Pool A

[edit]

17 October 2004

Samoa XIII  | 44 – 10  |  Auckland Māori

|
|

|  |

Auckland

18 October 2004

Auckland Māori  | 70 – 0  |  New Caledonia

|
|

|  |

Auckland

20 October 2004

Samoa XIII  | 76 – 0  |  New Caledonia

|
|

|  |

Auckland

### Pool B

[edit]

17 October 2004

Tonga XIII  | 22 – 17  |  Cook Islands XIII

|
|

|  |

Auckland

18 October 2004

Tonga XIII  | 22 – 18  |  American Samoa

|
|

|  |

Auckland

20 October 2004

Cook Islands XIII  | 28 – 12  |  American Samoa

|
|

|  |

Auckland

### Final

[edit]

23 October 2004

Samoa XIII  | 52 – 18  |  Tonga XIII

|
|

|  |

North Harbour Stadium, Auckland

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Auckland Hosts Pacific Rugby League Showdown Archived 2006-11-12 at the Wayback Machine eventpolynesia.com
2. ^ John Coffey, Bernie Wood (2008). 100 years: Māori rugby league, 1908-2008. Huia Publishers. pp. 329–330\. ISBN 9781869693312.
3. ^ "Taranaki pair picked for NZ Maori cup team". Taranaki Daily News. New Plymouth, New Zealand. 7 October 2004. p. 12 – via NewsBank.
4. ^ "Bati targets defensive patterns". Fiji Times. Suva. 5 October 2004. p. 36 – via NewsBank.
5. ^ "NZ Maori Thrash Samoa". Rugby League in New Zealand. Archived from the original on 30 October 2004. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
6. ^ "Cook Islands survive Tongan onslaught". Rugby League in New Zealand. 20 October 2004. Archived from the original on 30 October 2004. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
7. ^ "Cooks into Pacific Rim Grand Final". Rugby League in New Zealand. 22 October 2004. Archived from the original on 30 October 2004. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
8. ^ "Pacific Rim Grand Final Cook Islands v NZ Maori". Rugby League in New Zealand. Archived from the original on 30 October 2004. Retrieved 1 August 2022.

## External links

[edit]

* "NZRL - 2004 Pacific Rim Results". New Zealand Rugby League. Archived from the original on 8 November 2009.

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