While the rest of the world teeters on the brink, the Cooks play NInes

By STEVE MASCORD

WHILE the rest of the world battles Covid and coup attempts, in the Pacific idyl of the Cook Islands they’re playing rugby league Nines.

The 13-a-side World Cup is still nine months away but some fans refuse to believe it will go ahead, so devastating are the effects of the Global Pandemic in the Northern Hemisphere.

While the sports fans and athletes of Europe and the Americas hunker inside, life is going on much as it always has in the Cooks, population 17,500 … just without the tourists. The archipelago just over the International Dateline from New Zealand hasn’t had a single case of Covid since shutting its doors to international travellers.

And so while many of us will spend the weekend watching news channels for more news of an attempted coup d’état in Washington DC, the folk of the Rarotonga are preparing for the year’s first Nines tournament.

Seven men’s and four women’s teams are to converge on Tereora Stadium for a two day even commencing Friday afternoon.

“We are still Covid free and trying to open border with New Zealand in the next couple of months,” says Cook Islands Rugby League chairman Charles Carlson, who will send teams to the men’s and women’s 13-a-side World Cups in October.

Arorangi Bears are back to defend their men’s title.  They open their campaign at 4pm local time against Ngatangiia Sea Eagles. The entire tournament will be streamed.