After a successful campaign in the men’s T20 World Cup qualifier last year, it is now the turn of the Cook Islands women’s cricket team to travel overseas and compete on an international stage.

After a lengthy gap, Cook Islands will be competing in the ICC T20 Women’s East Asia Pacific World Cup Qualifier to be played in Vanuatu in August.  

Cook Islands Cricket Association (CICA) have appointed Tomakanute Ritawa (Kunta) as the national women’s cricket coach after the recent resignation of Craig Murray.

CICA would like to thank Murray for his services and for playing a pivotal role in the revival of cricket in the Cook Islands.

As there is no international cricket in the pipeline for the men’s team in the immediate future, CICA is reviewing the men’s coaching role and will make an announcement in this regard at a later date.

Fresh from attending a skills development programme and umpiring international matches in Fiji, Kunta is looking forward to the new challenge.

Having played international cricket as recently as last year, Kunta brings with him, years of cricketing knowledge and experience.

Kunta’s first assignment as national women’s coach is to select a team to compete in the tournament.

The first training session for this purpose is scheduled for Friday, May 5 at 5pm at the Ngatangiia club house.

CICA would like to request all interested women’s cricketers to attend the first training session and register their interest.

To help the women’s team prepare for the upcoming T20 World Cup qualifiers, CICA has a number of initiatives in the pipeline.

CICA is collaborating with Dan Vann who is an experienced cricket coach based in Christchurch.

Vann has coached cricket both locally in Christchurch and internationally for over the past 10 years.

Vann has a unique combination of skills, both as a cricket player and PE teacher, which enables him to get the best out of his players.

His coaching experience has taken him to Canada, Australia, Sri Lanka, South Africa, India, the USA and the UK where he has been an overseas player-coach.

He has also taken teams on international tours. CICA plans to have him in Rarotonga at the end of May for a visit to assist Kunta in preparing the team.

CICA is also in talks with New Zealand based cricketer Thamsyn Newton to help prepare the team.

Newton, who plays for the Wellington Blaze in New Zealand’s first class cricket, has represented the White Ferns 25 times in international cricket.

Newton is of Cook Islands heritage and is keen to be involved in preparing the team along with helping in CICA’s fund raising efforts to meet the expenses of the Vanuatu trip.

Newton will also help CICA identify New Zealand based cricketers who are of Cook Islands heritage in an effort to help raise the standard of the national team when they travel overseas for international assignments.

On the way to Vanuatu, CICA is also planning for the women’s team to play some practice matches against New Zealand based women’s teams.

CICA undertook a similar exercise last year when the men’s team travelled to Vanuatu, and it proved proven to be extremely valuable.

To make the upcoming women’s tour successful, CICA would once again like to invite all interested women’s cricketer’s to attend the first training session and register their interest on May 5 at 5pm at the Ngatangiia club house.

For more information, please get in touch with national women’s coach Kunta on 72624.