No Parliamentary rugby team

Deputy leader of the opposition Wilkie Rasmussen on Thursday raised the possibility of a friendly rugby match between the Cook Islands parliament and Minister Murray McCullys 75-strong delegation, which is expected to arrive on Rarotonga this week.

In parliament Rasmussen asked prime minister Henry Puna whether McCully has proposed the idea of pitting his delegation which includes rugby hall of famer Jonah Lomu against the Cook Islands parliament.

I heard that they were very keen for the Cook Islands to put up a team, he jested. Puna responded with a smile.

Unfortunately, New Zealand is concentrating too much on the forthcoming World Cup that they havent given us a challenge for a rugby match, he said.

If they had, the Cook Islands would have elected its ready-made rugby team the Mongoose team to represent the country on the field.

We may not win on the rugby field but I can assure you we can win at the bar, he joked.

Still, if there were any kind of friendly sports competition, Puna said, it would be on the golf course and he would be the team captain.