The Cookies have been working towards this for nearly 10 years I suppose. I honestly don't think anyone has put in more effort, and I honestly don't think playing in this cup means as much to any other team.
The Cook Islands are a tiny little protectorate of New Zealand, populated by people who are basically Maoris and who are officially citizens of New Zealand.
In short, they have no right to be in a World Cup. They are the smallest and poorest non Nation playing in this Cup and pretty much add nothing to the mix.
That is the down side.
On the positive side, for about 10 years they have been getting teams together and playing 'tests' against Minnows like Japan and Malta, and they earnt the right to play against Samoa for a spot in the Pacific Cup a few years ago, and to everyone's surprize, they beat Samoa, claimed a spot in the Pacific Cup, and did well enough in the Pacific cup to get automatic selection in the World Cup.
David Fairleigh was the coach who got them into the Pacific Cup and coached them to unexpected wins in that comp, and he has been working with this group of players ever since.
They had a warm up game against NZ and had a bad loss, but I am told Fairleigh used all his fringe guys for long minutes and kept his big guns healthy by only giving them short minutes.
I think the Cookies will be the team that most exceeds expectations in this cup. This is the biggest sporting moment in the history of the Cook Islands and they have put in a decade of effort to get here - and there is a pretty good chance they will never be here again. They have a decent squad with a decent coach, and will give it everything.

USA is the biggest country in the cup. Cook Islands is the smallest.
This means very little to the Yanks - This means everything to the Cookies.

I'm expecting the Cookies to blow the Yanks off the park, and to go on to give Tonga the game of their lives too.

Cook Islands has a population of 10,900 and has an area of 91 square miles. It is thus much smaller than Leigh or Castleford or Widnes. It is not a real nation. Its players are expats or have heritage connections, but are now living in New Zealand or Australia.

Having it play in the World Cup is a bit pathetic, in that it highlights how desperate rugby league is to find "nations" to play in a World Cup. It is especially unfair when Cook Islands has no domestic rugby league competition, while Lebanon with a population of 5 million, and a vibrant domestic rugby league competition, was denied a place.

Lebanon didn't qualify based on merit.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBEwTB-y7v4

www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBEwTB-y7v4

Lebanon was kept out of the RLWC when it was beaten by Italy, not by Cook Islands.

But the point is that there is no real nation there in the Cook Islands. There is an (admittedly fractured) real Lebanese nation there in Lebanon.

Cook Islands rugby league team is great theatre and perhaps even includes many good rugby league players. But they live in Australia or New Zealand. I am wondering how many people in the Cook Islands will be able to see their team play on TV.

Maybe there are grounds for having a Cook Islands team, made up of expats and heritage players, playing in a Pacific Cup. It can be entertaining at a certain level. But I feel embarrassed thinking about how it lowers the prestige of the World Cup ... having Cook Islands representing a rugby league nation when there is no serious nation there.

We need places like Lebanon, Russia, Ukraine, Czech Republic or Serbia to qualify next time, rather than Cook Islands. That makes sense from the point of view of expanding our game in terms of new players emerging in the countries involved, and giving our game a basis for real international respect.....and sponsorship.

Biggest game in World Cup history. National news in the states the game will be screened live to millions in every state as the tomahawks look to make history.

Regards,

Jean capdouze

I agree that we need to kick the Cookies to the curb next World cup and do everything we can to get bigger nations into the finals.
All the Cook Islanders can play for NZ if they are good enough.
But right now, the cookies earnt their spot by beating Samoa and Tonga and making the final of the 2009 Pacific cup.

Scotland isn't a UN nation, it's part of the UK. Neither is Wales. Ireland isn't unified, yet it has one team. Your point about the Cook Islands is totally irrelevant - and they qualified. The earned their place, Lebanon didn't (and didn't in 200icon_cool.gif.

Maybe we do, but if they can't or don't qualify, tough.

The Cook Islands are self governing and recognised by the UN, so, while they might not be acceptable as an answer on Pointless, describing them as not a "nation" is a bit unnecessary.

1. Drury Low
2. Lulia Lulia
3. Antony Gelling
4. Keith Lulia
5. Jordan Rapana
6. Brad Takairangi
7. Isaac John
8. Zane Tetevano
9. Daniel Fepuleai
10. Dylan Napa
11. Domnique Peyroux
12. Zeb Taia (C)
13. Tinirau Arona

14. Sam Brunton
15. Tupou Sopoaga
16. Adam Tangata
17. Sam Mataora
18. Joey Matapuku
19. Jonothan Ford


Pity Jono Ford isn't getting a run by the look of that. Jono cracks me up.

Yeah, having to qualify for the WC is so unfair. boo hoo.

So much buzz about them can't wait to watch them vs tonga next Tuesday.

Don't be so bloody stupid.

As a sport, we have far too many small and poor nations at the top level, and far too few wealthy nations who can add to our sport in real ways.

The qualification process for this cup was chaotic. The Cooks got through because they came second in a comp 4 years ago, and because there wasn't much money for qualifiers, it was decided to put them in on that form.

90% of the money for our sport comes from Australia and England because countries like PNG, Cook Islands, Tonga, Samoa, Fiji etc haven't got 2c to rub together. We really need Russia, USA, Japan, Italy and Spain - countries like that have money to spend if we can sell them our product.

If you are going to pretty much hand out qualification, i'd give it to Canada or South Africa for the next cup - not the smallest and poorest country we can find.

You are aware that this statement Debunks this one Right?