Rugby League’s Islander players going back to their roots

Pacific Island nations Tonga and Cook Islands met in a thrilling Rugby World Cup clash 2 years ago that went down to the wire. This weekend national pride goes on the line once more. But only one can survive. The loser misses out on a 2017 World Cup spot.

Sika Manu - Tonga Captain and [R] Jono Ford - Cook Islands Captain Shaking hands before their countries’ do battle in a crunch Rugby League World Cup qualifier. Source: SBS

Tonga and the Cook Islands boast plenty of NRL and UK Super League stars. But when it comes to playing for your country, there’s no comparison.

Jono Ford will captain Cook Islands and he’ll do everything he can to help his country win. Ford told SBS Online: “It would mean everything for our culture, our families and our country.”

The population of the Cook Islands last year was just under 11,000. Tonga is very much the big brother at around 10 times that. The diaspora of both nations dwarfs the amount of people that remain in their homelands. And that’s good news for the National Rugby League. Thirty seven per cent of NRL players are of Polynesian heritage, and that’s a proportion that shows no signs of slowing.

Tonga Captain Sika Manu explained that for those Pacific Islanders growing up in Australia, matches against fellow Island nations are an important cultural opportunity:

“Us going into camp for the week we learn a lot about our culture and it takes us back to our roots. “

Tonga won the 2013 World Cup clash against Cook Islands 22 points to 16 in one of the best games of the tournament. But one of the nations is going to miss the World Cup in 2017 which will see Papua New Guinea hosting matches for the first time along with co-hosts Australia and New Zealand.