The Battle of Raemaru Rugby League Showdown was held on Saturday afternoon, allowing all past players and new recruits for the Arorangi Bears open men’s team to participate in a fun match of rugby league.

The event served as a preseason warmup for the Cook Islands Rugby League (CIRL) 13s domestic competition, which kicks off this Friday.

The teams were split evenly into two groups consisting of the best players within the village. Team Toreaiva was made up of players who lived from Raemaru Park to Rutaki, while the Tuoro Titans were made up of players from Raemaru Park to Black Rock.

Andrew Purua, team leader of the Tuoro Titans team, said: “Our goal was to get all our potential players back together again after a short break as we’re now heading into another tough competition coming up and we need all the support we can get from our players and future stars.”

After a great match between the two teams, Robert Heather, team leader of the Toreaiva team, spoke about the importance of such competitions.

“It was a bit emotional for myself, not only seeing a good number of boys come down to the field, but also the number of spectators and supporters that came to cheer on both teams,” Heather said.

“It’s been a while since we’ve actually regained this community spirit so I’m really proud and happy with the turnouts today (Saturday).”

Just over 40 players participated in the fun match, and the local referees, who were spotted in the audience, were able to help with the technical aspects to ensure the game was run smoothly and properly.

After the match, a big feast was held for the players to give back and acknowledge their great performance and efforts. The Bears men’s side won the League Nines in Paradise tournament held last month.

Purua explained: “The invite was sent out and given to all the boys, however, the majority were not keen to put the boots on this afternoon, but still managed to do so and played with great spirit.”

“We’re so thankful to those who took on the opportunity to come and be a part of our successful event; even a few boys from other clubs who were just there to have a good feel of the fields again, we’re glad to have them join us.

“Nevertheless, on behalf of myself and all the boys too, we would like to thank those who have kindly sponsored our event, and continued to support us in their own ways, especially our families. Our Arorangi sports federations, and the Member of Parliament for Akaoa, the Member of Parliament for Murienua and Rua’au, they have actually done a lot behind the scenes for not only our rugby club but also for netball and all our sports codes in general, as well as with the upkeep of our facilities.”-

By Nicolea Mateariki.