For a nation of around 15,000 people, the Cook Islands has a proud record on rugby league’s biggest stage. The men’s team, Te Aitu, has now qualified for four World Cups, and the women’s team, the Vaine Moana, has played at two.
Where it started
Rugby league was introduced to the Cook Islands in the early 1980s. The first international was played in Rarotonga in 1986, a 22-8 win over Niue. In 1995 the Cook Islands, captained by Craig Bowen, won the Emerging Nations World Cup in England.
Men’s World Cups
2000: the first World Cup
The Cook Islands made their World Cup debut in 2000. Kevin Iro, one of the greatest players the islands have produced, played for the Cook Islands at that tournament near the end of his career.
2013: back on the world stage
Aitu returned for the 2013 World Cup and beat Wales 28-24.
2021 (played in 2022)
The delayed 2021 tournament in England brought another win over Wales, 18-12, before a loss to Papua New Guinea in the group stage.
2026: Australia, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand
The World Cup was cut to 10 men’s teams for 2026, so the Cook Islands had to qualify the hard way. They did it with a 58-6 win over South Africa in Sydney in November 2025, and are now in Group A with Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. The Cook Islands have not yet progressed beyond the group stage at a World Cup. See the 2026 fixtures and kick-off times.
Women’s World Cups
The Vaine Moana made their World Cup debut in 2017 and played again at the 2021 tournament. They missed out on the 2026 event after losing to Fiji in the Pacific qualifier in 2024, and are now building towards the stand-alone Women’s World Cup in 2028. Read more about the Moana.
Other milestones
- 2023: The Moana won gold in the women’s rugby league 9s at the Pacific Games in Honiara.
- 2025: The Moana won the Pacific Bowl, beating PNG 34-6 and Tonga 42-24. It was the first trophy for a Cook Islands team in an elite international competition.
The full timeline is on our history page.
