The two pageant organisations in the Cook Islands are planning to host separate pageant events this year.

Miss Cook Islands Pageant Association (MCIPA) has already begun their preparation by endorsing 22-year-old Ngatepaeru Marie Maoate, reigning Maine Kūki ʻAirani Aotearoa 2024, to represent the country at this year’s Miss Pacific Islands Pageant.

The regional pageant will be held in Honiara, Solomon Islands, next month from February 1-8.

According to Clee Marsters, president of the MCIPA, there will be a Miss Cook Islands pageant this year that will include contestants of Cook Islands heritage from Australia and New Zealand.

“We will have a contestant from NZ and we will also welcome our contestants from Australia,” Marsters confirmed.

“With the start-up of MCINSW (Miss Cook Islands New South Wales), MCIVIC (Miss Cook Islands of Victoria, Melbourne) and MCIQLD (Miss Cook Islands of Queensland 2025) through our good friend Vera Dean, who is coordinating the three Australian state pageants, the winner’s and hopefully runner-ups will travel to Rarotonga to compete against our local girls for the national title of Miss Cook Islands.”

The Miss Cook Islands of Queensland (Gold Coast) pageant will be held on Saturday, May 3, Miss Cook Islands of Victoria (Melbourne) on Saturday, June 14, and Miss Cook Islands of New South Wales (Sydney) on Saturday, July 19.

MCIPA is also calling on anyone who has the potential to be a contestant for the Miss Cook Islands 2025 pageant to contact them.

The other beauty pageant group, the Miss Cook Islands Association (MCIA), is also focused on organising a Miss Cook Islands 2025 pageant.

Association’s secretary Rohan Ellis said: “MCIA will focus on organising a spectacular Miss Cook Islands 2025 pageant, and the winner will represent our little paradise at Miss World 2025.”

Ellis said that the Miss Cook Islands Association does not currently have a formal working relationship with the Miss Pacific Islands organisation. However, he expressed his sincere best wishes to Miss Cook Islands contestant Ngatepaeru Maoate for the upcoming pageant.

In an earlier interview, Ellis had said that organising a professionally run pageant required careful consideration and planning, including sponsor partnerships and other commercial arrangements to ensure the contestants experience an amazing professional development programme to ready themselves for the big stage.

Tajiya Sahay is the reigning Miss Cook Islands, crowned in 2019. She represented the country at the Miss World 2019 in London where she placed sixth overall and won the Oceania continental title.