The second round of the Cook Islands Rugby League (CIRL) Rarotonga 13s League competition continued on Saturday at Nukupure Park amidst the intermittent bursts of rain which kept the players cool but led to missed kicks and dropped balls.

The premiership men’s competition got underway on Friday with the Titikaveka Bulldogs beating the Takuvaine (TKV) Warriors 48-10 at Nukupure Park in Ngatangiia.

On Saturday, the solid and robust defending champions, the Avatiu Nikao Eels and the Tupapa Maraerenga Panthers, retained their unbeaten start, beating the Ngatangiia Matavera Sea Eagles and the Arorangi Bears, respectively.

The relentless Bears and the Panthers played a tightly contested physical and fast match, keeping the scoreline low until the final whistle. The Panthers edged out the Bears 12-8.

In an interview with CIRL, Panthers captain Eric Newbigging said both teams came out hard in the tough match and because of the rain there was a lot of dropped balls and slides.

Bears player Tua Herman said it was a good, solid match and acknowledged the fans for their support.

The dominating Eels showcased their skills on the field, decisively defeating the tenacious Ngatangiia Matavera Sea Eagles 30-10 in the feature premiership men’s clash.

The Eels skipper Josh Motu said he was “pretty happy” with the team’s effort.

“The first half was spot on but in the second we started to give away the ball a bit too much but nevertheless I’m happy with the boys,” said Motu.

Not going to take anything away from the opposition side, Motu said the Sea Eagles came out strong and hard “so hats off to them”.

The slippery Avatiu Nikao Eels power burst through the Sea Eagles defence. MELINA ETCHES/25021606

Despite the win, Motu said they needed to work on their kicks and finishing, recognising that they have some new players and are still trying to gel as a team.

Sea Eagles coach Daniel Toa said he was proud of the performance from their players.

“We expected a tough match against Avatiu and it showed. We stuck through it to the end and it was a good game … at the end of the day one side is going to win, congratulations to Avatiu.”

Toa said they needed to work on the basics.

“It all adds up and for a quality side like Avatiu, we can’t afford to give them as little bit,” he said.

“It’s still the first round and it’s expected. We’re slowly climbing every week and we’re hoping in a couple of weeks we will be where we want to be.”

Toa showed his appreciation to all the supporters, saying “having a good crowd outside supporting the game boosts the morale of the players”.

The second round of matches, originally scheduled for Aretere Park in Avatiu, was moved to Nukupure Park due to the consistent heavy downpour last week.

Results

Cook Islands Rugby League Men's Premiership: Avatiu Eels 30 vs Ngatangiia Matavera Sea Eagles 10; Tupapa Maraerenga Panthers 13 Arorangi Bears 8, Titikaveka Bulldogs 48 Takuvaine (TKV) Warriors 10. Women’s Exhibition match: Team White 18 vs Team Purple 4.