The Cook Islands Aitu rugby league team conducted their first training session at Albert Park in Suva yesterday morning as they gear up for their match against the Vodafone Fiji Bati this Saturday, part of the second week of the 2024 NRL Pacific Championships.
Coach Karmichael Hunt noted that the players had a strong training session after arriving in the country on Saturday night, and they were eager to return to the field again at 8 am today.
“We’re really looking forward to getting back on the training track tomorrow (today), and then finishing our preparation off on Thursday,” Hunt mentioned.
Hunt is also excited about the upcoming match against the Bati and emphasized the importance of the players’ fitness levels as they entered the training session.
“I really enjoyed the intensity of the session; quite a few boys have finished footy for over a month now, while some have only been out of the game for a couple of weeks.”
There was only one encounter between the Bati and Aitu in 2023, where the Bati emerged victorious with a score of 22-18 in a challenging match for the Cook Islands, who had previously faced a 10-46 defeat against the Papua New Guinea Kumuls prior to their game with the Bati.
As preparations continue, Hunt highlighted that the match against the Bati is vital for their chances of Rugby League World Cup qualification, expressing their determination to achieve that goal.
“When you play for your country against another country, the stakes are always higher, so the boys are really proud Cook Islanders who want to go out there and represent their country and heritage with pride,” he stated.