Sport in the Cook Islands

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Sport in the Cook Islands" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (February 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

Tonga vs the Cook Islands at the 2013 Rugby League World Cup

Rugby league is the national sport and most popular sport in the Cook Islands, with soccer and rugby union as the next most popular/played sports.[1] In September 2009, the Cook Islands hosted the 2009 Pacific Mini Games. Cook Islands Sports National Olympic Committee is the official governing body of sport in the Cook Islands.

## Types of football

[edit]

### Rugby league

[edit]

Main article: Rugby league in the Cook Islands

Rugby league is the national sport and the most popular sport in the Cook Islands. The Cook Islands were introduced to rugby league in 1988, when the Cook Islands national rugby league team played their first match against the New Zealand Maori team. In the mid-1990s, rugby league in the Cook Islands received significant funding through the SuperLeague organisation; however, money from this source is no longer available.[citation needed]

The greatest event in the history of Cook Islands rugby league – and probably Cook Islands sport more generally – was the victory in the 1995 Emerging Nations Rugby League World Cup, held in the United Kingdom. Cook Islands emerged victorious 22–6 over Ireland in the Final held at Gigg Lane, Bury, on 24 October 1995.

In more recent times, the Cook Islands national rugby league team has received a major boost through the involvement of former professional rugby league players Kevin Iro and Matt Rua (both native Cook Islanders), in the form of selector and defensive coach for the national side. Both players represented New Zealand internationally and played many National Rugby League games. Rugby league also receives much time on television in the Cook Islands, with four NRL games shown per week,[2] fuelling the popularity of the sport amongst the islanders.

The Cook Islands national rugby league team made their senior World Cup debut in 2000 and played in their second world cup in the 2013 Rugby League World Cup.[3] They competed again in the 2021 Rugby League World Cup in England where they recorded one win from three matches.

### Rugby union

[edit]

Main article: Rugby union in the Cook Islands

The Cook Islands is a tier-three rugby union playing nation. They began playing international rugby union in the early 1990s, and have yet to make the Rugby World Cup.

The Cook Islands Rugby Union is the governing body for rugby union in the Cook Islands. It was founded in 1989, and became affiliated to the International Rugby Board in 1995.

### Association football (soccer)

[edit]

See also: Cook Islands national football team

The Cook Islands Football Association is the governing body of football in the Cook Islands. The Cook Islands Round Cup is the top division in the Cook Islands, and the Cook Islands Cup is the top knock-out tournament.

### Footballers of Cook Islands descent

[edit]

The following list includes players of various codes of football. These include:

* Pekahou Cowan
* Robbie Fruean
* Carl Hoeft
* Tafai Ioasa
* James Kamana
* Johnny Leota
* Aaron Mauger
* Nathan Mauger
* Craig McGrath
* Ryan Nicholas
* Valentine Holmes
* Esan Marsters
* Rene Ranger
* Stephen Setephano
* Teddy Stanaway
* Lima Sopoaga
* Stan Wright

## Cricket

[edit]

See also: Cricket in Oceania § Cook Islands

Cricket is played on Rarotonga, and some of the outer islands (where the rules are often similar to the sport of Samoan cricket or kirikiti). Most villages have teams, which compete in a league after the end of the soccer season. It is popular among the older generation.

The men's and women's national teams play in ICC East Asia-Pacific tournaments.

## Netball

[edit]

Main article: Netball in the Cook Islands

Women's netball is a very popular sport in the Cook Islands, and the country has one of the world's top 10 teams, which competed in the 2007 Netball World Cup.

## See also

[edit]

* Oceania portal
* Sport portal

* Sport in Oceania
* Cook Islands at the Olympics

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Cook Islands loses to Papua New Guinea at Rugby League World Cup, but the game means more than the result". www.abc.net.au. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
2. ^ "Zeb finds fame has no borders | thetelegraph.com.au". archive.md. 2012-09-11. Archived from the original on 2012-09-11. Retrieved 2021-11-23.
3. ^ "President of Cook Islands Rugby League visits Bristol". Bristol.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 10 August 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2013.

## External links

[edit]

* Cook Islands Sports & National Olympic Committee

* v
* t
* e

Sport in Oceania

Sovereign states|

* Australia
* Federated States of Micronesia
* Fiji
* Indonesia
* Kiribati
* Marshall Islands
* Nauru
* New Zealand
* Palau
* Papua New Guinea
* Samoa
* Solomon Islands
* Timor-Leste
* Tonga
* Tuvalu
* Vanuatu

Associated states
of New Zealand|

* Cook Islands
* Niue

Dependencies
and other territories|

* American Samoa
* Christmas Island
* Cocos (Keeling) Islands
* Easter Island
* French Polynesia
* Guam
* Hawaii
* New Caledonia
* Norfolk Island
* Northern Mariana Islands
* Pitcairn Islands
* Tokelau
* Wallis and Futuna

* v
* t
* e

Cook Islands articles

History|

* James Cook
* Kingdom of Rarotonga
* Cook Islands Federation
* Free association

Geography|

* Administrative divisions
* Climate
* Lakes
* Rivers
* Towns and villages
* Northern chain
* Southern chain

Politics|

* Cabinet
* Chiefs
* Elections
* Foreign relations
* House of Ariki
* King's Representative
* Monarchy
* Parliament
* Political parties
* Prime Minister

Economy|

* Energy
* Telecommunications
* Transport

Society|

* Cook Islands Māori
* Culture
* Demographics
* Education
* Literature
* Music
* People
* Public holidays
* Sports

Symbols|

* Anthem
* Coat of arms
* Flag

* Outline
* Index

* Category

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template