Cook Islands to take on world rugby giants

Preparations are underway in the Cook Islands Rugby team for their upcoming tour to France and participation in the Hamilton Fiji Sevens tournament this weekend.

CIRNZ representative Opua Samuel said the Hamilton event would serve as a trial for selecting players for the France tour in May.

"The vision around us participating at the Fijian Series is just to see how the players go," he said.

"Those ones that improve or have the goods will come on to the camp in the following week. It just adds a tick to their name to get selected to go to France."

Speaking to Susnation Seta on PMN Cook Islands, Samuel said they’ve had previous success at the Hamilton tournament.

"The last time we went to that tournament, there were 16 teams. We had a few games, I think seven games all up.

"We made it to the top 8 but ran out of gas. There’s also prizemoney -the first prize is $7000, which could be handy for us to bank for France."

A selection camp is scheduled for February 6-7, where 30 registered players will compete for a spot on the France tour.

Coaches Trent Campbell and Junior Kiria will accompany the team to France and oversee the preparations.

Samuel said the team’s spirits were high, and they even trained over the summer break.

"We had a good turnout of nine boys during the festive time. A lot of people were away on holiday, but we had a pretty good training on the first day. The vibe seems really good early on in the year."

The team are also hosting a meet-and-greet event with Teddy Stanaway, a former All Black of Cook Islands heritage.

"The main reason we’re going to France is because of him,” Samuels said. "He’s the coordinator in France for this tournament. If you’re not doing anything, come along and hear some insight on Teddy Stanaway’s life and rugby career.”

Stanaway (Ngāti Tūwharetoa) is a professional rugby player contracted by Oyonnax in northern France. He was a member of the Cook Islands U20 team for the 2008 IRB Junior World Championship.

The following year, he was selected for the New Zealand national under-20 rugby union team - winners of the 2009 IRB Junior World Championship in Tokyo, Japan.

The team also encourage supporters to attend their open training sessions and enjoy the excitement as they prepare for the year ahead.

New Zealand Sevens have won the Australian leg of the HSBC SVNS series beating Fiji 24-21 in Perth at the weekend. Photo/file

For more information, contact the team via their Facebook page, Cook Island Rugby New Zealand (CERNS), or by calling 021-027-12415.

HSBC Perth Sevens

The 2025 Perth Rugby Sevens HSBC on the weekend saw New Zealand edge out Fiji 24-21 in a dramatic men’s final, while the Australian women’s team triumphed over France with a commanding 31-12 victory.

The tournament showcased high-intensity rugby, setting the tone for an electrifying HSBC Sevens Series season.