Cook Islands coach Karmichael Hunt has welcomed Marata Niukore’s decision to help the Aitu qualify for next year’s World Cup and revealed that Valentine Holmes has also pledged his allegiance to the Pacific nation.
Niukore played for New Zealand at the last World Cup in 2022 but arrived in Papua New Guinea with the Cook Islands squad ahead of Saturday’s Pacific Championships clash with Fiji.
The injured Holmes is set to join the Cook Islands coaching staff.
The squad will prepare for the November 9 World Cup qualifier against South Africa at CommBank Stadium with Pacific Championship matches against the Bati on Saturday and Papua New Guinea on October 25.
Queensland Origin star Val Holmes is set to represent his Cook Islands heritage at next year’s World Cup.
©Grant Trouville/NRL Photos
If Cook Islands qualify for RLWC2026, Holmes has pledged to represent his heritage at the tournament. He is eligible for the Aitu through his Cook Islands-born mother, Lucy.
Hunt said Holmes would have played if not for a season ending shoulder injury with the Dragons and the Maroons star will join the team for a camp in the Cook Islands before the World Cup qualifier.
“Obviously with his injury he can’t put on the jersey but he is committed and wants to be a part of what we are doing here,” Hunt said.
“He is going to join us in our third week, which we are going back to the Cook Islands to come and connect with the guys and he is going to help me coach in Sydney, along with [former Broncos forward] Alex Glenn.
“Hopefully next year, if he is injury free and we win this game against South Africa, he can play for us in the World Cup and help to lead our boys.”
Niukore played for Cook Islands in the 2017 World Cup and helped the Aitu qualify for RLWC2021 in England.
However, after the World Cup was postponed by 12 months due to COVID, the star forward was granted an exemption to switch allegiances to New Zealand for the tournament.
Hunt said Niukore is now fully committed to the Cook Islands for RLWC2026, along with Broncos premiership winning secondrower Brendan Piakura and Sharks centre KL Iro.
“It has taken some years for us to be able to get some of our boys back from other nations, especially Marate,” Hunt said.
“We want him to come back to lead our boys, and he has said no to the Kiwis because he wanted to come home and fly the flag for the culture. Marate is a proud Cook Islander, and so is his family.
Warriors forward Marate Niukore has returned to his Cook Islands heritage for the Pacific Championships and RLWC26.
©NRL Photos
“He has taken some time to reflect and have think about what he wanted to do. He just felt the pull to come home and play for his people and lead us to the next World Cup. I can’t wait to see him back in the jersey.
“We are grateful for him and also Brendan Piakura, coming off the year he had with the Broncos. KL didn’t play last year either because he was injured so we have got three of our best players, who are playing at the highest level, back to rep our little nation.”
In addition to Piakura, who starred for the Broncos in their stunning finals run, Hunt will also welcome centre Reubenn Rennie and winger Paul Ulberg from the Toulouse team which won the Championship grand final against York last weekend.
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The Aitu squad also includes a number of other players with NRL experience, including South Sydney prop Davvy Moale, Knights utility Mason Teague, Wests Tigers forward Reuben Porter and Panthers rookie Delahia Wigmore
“There are some exciting young kids coming through like Delahia Wigmore, who is in the Panthers system and made his debut this year. He is full of energy and just wants to compete,” Hunt said.
“The thing about the Cook Islanders is because we don’t have a lot of our topliners committed to playing yet there is opportunities for young guys in the state leagues to put on the jersey.”
While the Pacific Championships will help ready the Aitu for the World Cup qualifier against South Africa, Hunt admitted that he knew little about the Rhinos, whose team will be a combination of domestic and heritage players.
“It is a massive unknown, but we have just got to worry about ourselves,” Hunt said.
“We have got two weeks in PNG to find ourselves and make sure that when we step on the field against South Africa, whoever their line-up may be, we know who we are, why we want to play and we get the job done.”