IRL Men's Rugby League World Cup : Pool A

Sun 25th October 2026   - KO  18:05 - One NZ Stadium, Christchurch , New Zealand

New Zealand

82

FT

16

Half Time
36 - 16

Cook Islands

Tries

Jamayne ISAAKO (1,23,74)
Ronaldo MULITALO (6,64)
Scott SORENSEN (27)
Tanner STOWERS-SMITH (32,49)
Casey MCLEAN (37,58)
Keano KINI (42)
Kodi NIKORIMA (51)
Te Maire MARTIN (76)
Charnze NICOLL-KLOKSTAD (78)

Esom IOKA (10,14,18)

Goals

Jamayne ISAAKO (13/13)

Valentine HOLMES (2/3)

Match Preview | New Zealand take on Cook Islands in Men's World Cup group stage

New Zealand face the Cook Islands in their second Pool A fixture of the 2026 IRL Men’s Rugby League World Cup on Sunday at One NZ Stadium in Christchurch, with kick-off at 4:05pm local time.

New Zealand suffered a narrow 24-22 defeat to Australia in their opening match last Thursday in Sydney, despite a brace from Kalyn Ponga and a try from Casey McLean in front of a crowd of 41,000.

The Kiwis will be looking to get their campaign back on track and claim their first win of the tournament. Keano Kini comes into the side at full-back, while Xavier Willison starts in the back row and Erin Clark moves into the loose-forward role.

The Cook Islands also suffered defeat in their opening group game, going down to Fiji, and have made several changes to their starting XIII for Sunday's clash. Valentine Holmes comes in at full-back, with Bradley Takairangi named at half-back. New Wakefield Trinity signing Mason Teague moves to loose-forward, allowing Ruatapu Ngatikaura to come into the side at hooker.

New Zealand (squad): Keano KINI, Jamayne ISAAKO, Charnze NICOLL-KLOKSTAD, Casey MCLEAN, Ronaldo MULITALO, Kodi NIKORIMA, Jahrome HUGHES, James FISHER HARRIS, Jeremy MARSHALL-KING, Joseph TAPINE, Xavier WILLISON, Scott SORENSEN, Erin CLARK, Te Maire MARTIN, Leo THOMPSON, Tanner STOWERS-SMITH, Jacob LABAN, Isaiah PAPALI'I, Briton NIKORA, Dane GAGAI, Naufahu WHYTE, Moses LEOTA

Cook Islands (squad): Valentine HOLMES, Paul ULBERG, Kayal IRO, Reubenn RENNIE, Cameron BROWN, Maui WINITANA-PATELESIO, Bradley TAKAIRANGI, Davvy MOALE, Rua NGATIKAURA, Rhys DAKIN, Amare Lese MILFORD, Del (Delahia) WIGMORE, Mason TEAGUE, Esan MARSTERS, K-Ci NEWTON-WHARE, David Tuariki, Makahesi MAKATOA, Chaev KOLONE, Glassie GLASSIE, Brody TAMARUA, Esom IOKA, Pride PETTERSON-ROBATI

20 October 2026
1 Keano KINI
Full Back
Valentine HOLMES 1
2 Jamayne ISAAKO
Right Wing
Esom IOKA 2
3 Charnze NICOLL-KLOKSTAD
Right Centre
Kayal IRO 3
4 Casey MCLEAN
Left Centre
Reubenn RENNIE 4
5 Ronaldo MULITALO
Left Wing
Cameron BROWN 5
6 Kodi NIKORIMA
Stand Off
Maui WINITANA-PATELESIO 6
7 Jahrome HUGHES
Scrum Half
Bradley TAKAIRANGI 7
8 - FISHER HARRIS
Prop
Davvy MOALE 8
9 Jeremy MARSHALL-KING
Hooker
Rua NGATIKAURA 9
10 Joseph TAPINE
Prop
Rhys DAKIN 10
11 Xavier WILLISON
Second Row
Amare Lese MILFORD 11
12 Scott SORENSEN
Second Row
Del (Delahia) WIGMORE 12
13 Erin CLARK
Loose Forward
Mason TEAGUE 13
14 Te Maire MARTIN (used)
Int 1
Esan MARSTERS (used) 14
15 Leo THOMPSON (used)
Int 2
K-Ci NEWTON-WHARE (used) 15
16 Tanner STOWERS-SMITH (used)
Int 3
David Tuariki (used) 16
17 Jacob LABAN (used)
Int 4
Makahesi MAKATOA (used) 17
18 Isaiah PAPALI'I
Int 5
Chaev KOLONE 18
19 Briton NIKORA
Int 6
Glassie GLASSIE 19

A rousing Test debut by Tanner Stowers-Smith and a record 38-point haul from Jamayne Isaako has powered the Kiwis to a 82-16 victory over Cook Islands in Christchurch.

Coming off a narrow loss to Australia in their tournament opener the Kiwis were keen to get their campaign back on track and they did that with a 14-tries-to-three romp.

Stowers-Smith entered the field around the half-hour mark and needed just five minutes to make his mark when he powered over from close range after taking a pass from crafty No.9 Jeremy Marshall-King.

The 22-year-old Warrior was in again in the 50th minute when he proved too strong for the tiring Aitu defence.

Player of the match Casey McLean also helped himself to a double, taking his career tally to 11 tries in just six Tests, while Ronaldo Mulitalo also crossed twice and Isaako snared a hat-trick.

The Kiwis didn't have it all their own way in the first half as an Esom Ioka hat-trick had Cook Islands daring to dream.

After Isaako and Mulitalo had scored early, Ioka picked off an intercept on his own 10m line and went the distance to put the Aitu on the board.

Five minutes later he had a second courtesy of a pinpoint crossfield kick from veteran playmaker Brad Takairangi before another intercept try had Cook Islands ahead 16-12 after 20 minutes.

Isaako made it a double in the 24th minute when he got around the outside of Cameron Brown and crawled over in the corner before converting from wide out to give the Kiwis the lead at 18-16.

Some sweet ball-play from Kodi Nikorima to put Scott Sorensen over on the left edge saw the Kiwis extend their lead to 24-16 before Stowers-Smith got his first.

With half-time approaching McLean finished off a brilliant move started by Erin Clark with a deft offload for Keano Kini before Kodi Nikorima also played his part.

The Kiwis made the ideal start to the second term when Kini burst through a poor attempted tackle by Maui Winitana-Patelesio and dotted down to make it 42-16 after Isaako's seventh successful conversion.

Stowers-Smith completed his double in the 50th minute before Nikorima outpointed Val Holmes in the air and scooted away for the Kiwis' ninth try.

Next to hit the scoreboard were McLean in the 59th minute and Mulitalo in the 65th minute before Isaako completed his hat-trick five minutes from full-time and banged over the conversion to give him 38 points, eclipsing the previous Kiwis record of 32 points set by Tasesa Lavea against Cook Islands in 2000.

Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad rounded out the scoring in the 79th minute as the Kiwis fine-tuned their game ahead of a Round 3 clash with Fiji on the Gold Coast.

Cook Islands will head to Townsville to take on defending champions Australia as they look to finish their tournament on a high.

25 October 2026