After a successful tour to Mitiaro, the Cook Islands Rugby Union’s (CIRU) Pa Enua outreach team, which runs the Healthy Living Programme, is in Mauke this week to promote its fun and interactive way of teaching young people the importance of a healthy lifestyle.

Using rugby at the heart of the programme, the CIRU team visiting Akatokamanava includes national development manager Ben Koteka, vice president Harriet Tuara, Mahana Sijp and Wallace Aroita. They are accompanied by Nicolea Mateariki from non-governmental organisation, Kōrero o te Orau, a supporting partner for this programme.

This is their second Pā Enua trip for the year and the team is excited to continue holding these workshops on each of the islands to develop the skills and knowledge of basic rugby while prioritising the importance of our cultural teachings.

On Monday afternoon, the team landed on Akatokamanava and kickstarted their first activity for the week, the “Raising Ruckstar” festival.

Over 30 children took the field, each of them was able to run through a few ball drills and touch games with a special treat of sausage sizzles and sponsored prizes from Vodafone Cook Islands at the end.

Tuara said: “Our Raising Ruckstar Festival in Mauke was a huge success! We had around 30 eager kids, aged five and up, come together for a fun-filled day of rugby.”

“The goal was to introduce them to the She’s a Ruckstar programme, which we’ve launched in Rarotonga, blending rugby skills with core values like respect, integrity and solidarity.”

Following the festival, the CIRU team took the excitement into the classroom, delivering values-based sessions to senior students.

“Throughout the week, we’ll continue running rugby sessions in schools and coaching workshops to help ensure that opportunities like these can grow and continue in Mauke – giving local children more ways to engage with rugby and develop through sport,” Tuara said.

“This is just the beginning, and we can’t wait to see rugby thrive in Mauke!”.

On Tuesday, the team spent the day at Apii Mauke, delivering the Healthy Living and Rugby Rising Values programmes to students of all ages.

The junior students explored healthier ways to improve their overall well-being, learning simple yet impactful habits to support their growth. Meanwhile, the senior students dived into discussions about the importance of values—both in rugby and in life.

“It was a fantastic day in the classroom and on the field, with the seniors even getting a teaser session of T1 Rugby to put their skills to the test!” CIRU said.

“Meitaki ma’ata to the students and teachers of Apii Mauke for your enthusiasm and engagement. We’re looking forward to the rest of the week!”

The touring team returned to the schools yesterday for more learning and skill development.

Kōrero O te Orau’s Mateariki said: “The island has been so good to us since we’ve arrived, and I am very grateful for this opportunity given to me by Kōrero O te Orau. This is to help with the development and growth of our future generations through sports and cultural teachings and that is two things that I am very passionate about, especially when it comes to putting our beautiful paradise out there”.

The team will return to Rarotonga on Friday as they look forward to their upcoming Pā Enua trips in the next few weeks.

CIRU acknowledged its sponsors Air Rarotonga, Vodafone Cook Islands, Te Marae Ora, CIBS and Korero o te Orau.