Cook Islands at the Rugby League World Cup

About Cook Islands in rugby league

Nicknamed the Aitu, the Cook Islands have represented the nation in international rugby league since 1986 under the Cook Islands Rugby League Association, winning the 1995 Emerging Nations tournament along the way and building squads largely from expatriate Cook Islanders based in New Zealand. The side made its World Cup debut in 2000, finishing third in their pool with losses to Wales and New Zealand and a draw against Lebanon. Their best World Cup result to date came in 2013, when the Cook Islands won their first-ever World Cup match, beating co-hosts Wales, despite further losses to the United States and Tonga in the same group. The 2021/2022 tournament was tougher again, including a 92-10 defeat to Tonga — the heaviest loss in the team's World Cup history. The Cook Islands are grouped with Australia, New Zealand and Fiji in Group A for the 2026 World Cup, a draw that guarantees three matches against genuine title contenders and another chance to build on the 2013 upset of Wales. Across their two completed World Cup campaigns the Cook Islands have been eliminated at the group stage both times, with heavy defeats to New Zealand (6-38) and Samoa (20-32) among the results along the way — a reminder of how steep the gap remains between the tournament's Pacific second tier and its established powers, even as sides like Tonga, Samoa and Fiji have closed that gap dramatically over the same period. The Cook Islands remain heavily reliant on New Zealand-based players of Cook Islands heritage rather than a large resident playing population, a talent pipeline shared with several of the Pacific's smaller rugby league nations and one that continues to shape who is available for selection at each World Cup.

Sources

• Cook Islands national rugby league team — Wikipedia