The Cook Islands Moana have been eliminated from the race for a World Cup spot following their 6-18 defeat to Fiji Bulikula at the HFC Bank Stadium last Saturday. Head coach Rusty Matua expressed that the Fijian team outperformed them both in offense and defense. He stated, “We weren’t good enough, and congratulations to the Bulikula who were a lot stronger and were able to stop the flow of their momentum.”
Matua acknowledged that, while the players showed effort, their skills did not meet expectations. He noted that despite having a solid preparation for their Pacific Championship campaign, they were caught off guard by the Bulikula. “Fiji showed up and taught us how to play football, especially in how they dominated the ruck,” he added.
Team captain Kiana Takairangi shared her gratitude for the support from their fans despite the disappointing outcome. She expressed regret to her teammates, saying, “I feel like I let my team down. It’s a disappointing loss for our team and our nation; we don’t know if we’ll get another chance, so we’ll wait and see what happens.” Takairangi felt honored to lead the Cook Islands Moana alongside her brother Brad, who captained the men’s team, highlighting the pride they share in representing their nation simultaneously.
Coach Matua also extended his thanks to the Fijian people for their warm hospitality. He expressed appreciation for the National Rugby League (NRL) for establishing the competition, calling it an honor and privilege to represent their heritage and Pacific culture alongside their Pacific neighbors.
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