Cook Islands will be part of a Pacific Championships involving international men’s and women’s teams from seven countries, including Australia and New Zealand, in October and November this year.

The Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) has announced details of a Pacific Championships involving international men’s and women’s matches in October and November this year.

The Commission has also announced a partnership with the Australian Government in order to promote and develop rugby league in the Pacific through the Championships.

The Albanese Government will partner with the NRL to ensure Pacific Championships matches can be played in the Pacific, enabling players to play in front of their loyal local fans.

Six men’s teams and seven women’s teams will take part in the 2023 tournament across two pools, which will begin on October 14. The men’s tournaments will culminate in finals in Hamilton, New Zealand, and Port Moresby on November 4-5.

The 2023 Championships will include two match days in Australia, two in New Zealand and four in Papua New Guinea (PNG).

The Pacific Championships will be staged in 2023 and 2024, after the NRL and NRLW Premiership seasons, and will include men’s and women’s teams from Australia, New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Cook Islands.

Cook Islands Rugby League president Charles Carlson yesterday welcomed the tournament.

“This is fantastic news for CIRL and the Cook Islands. For us to be confirmed as part of the Pacific Test for the next two years is good news for both our men and women,” Carlson told Cook Islands News.

“It’s crucial for us to participate in these international test matches and stay connected with top teams. Otherwise, we risk falling behind and ending up playing against tier three nations.

“We are confident in our skills and have proven ourselves capable of beating even the strongest teams, including Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa. However, to maintain that standard we must continue competing at this highest level of competition.”

Planning future events can be challenging without an established international calendar, says Carlson.

“However, we have set our sights on the next two years as we prepare for the World Cup qualifiers. These may be scheduled for either 2024 or 2025, with the Rugby League World Cup taking place in 2026.”

ARLC Commissioner Kate Jones said: “The Commission’s focus on growing the international game will combine with an equally strong desire to grow rugby league in the Pacific.”

“The 2023 Pacific Championships will showcase the best of international Rugby League in matches across three countries. Importantly, the international matches will be highlighted by both men’s and women’s matches.

“The partnership with the Australian Government will facilitate the development of high-performance pathways for Pacific athletes, coaches, referees and administrators, and continue to build a strong sports economy in the region.”

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the Pacific Championships marked the beginning of an exciting new phase of international rugby league competition in the Pacific for both women and men.

“Geography makes us neighbours, but through sport we build strong and lasting ties across the Pacific family.”

• Additional reporting from NRL

Fixtures

Week One – October 14-15: Australia v Samoa (men) and Australia v New Zealand (women) at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville; PNG v Cook Islands (men) and Samoa v Fiji (women) at Santos Stadium, Port Moresby.

Week Two – October 21-22: New Zealand v Samoa (men) and New Zealand v Tonga (women) at Eden Park, Auckland; Fiji v Cook Islands (men) and PNG v Cook Islands (women) at Santos Stadium, Port Moresby.

Week Three – October 28-29: Australia v New Zealand (men and women) at AAMI Park, Melbourne; PNG v Fiji (men) at Santos Stadium, Port Moresby.

Week Four – November 4-5: The Final of the men’s Pacific Cup tournament on November 4 in Hamilton, New Zealand; The Final of the men’s Pacific Bowl tournament on November 5 at Santos Stadium, Port Moresby.