8 Oct 2015

Sport: Player numbers on the up for Pacific rugby league nations

1:40 pm on 8 October 2015

Niue rugby league coach Brendan Perenara says the pool of players making themselves available for emerging nations is continuing to expand.

The Rock beat 2013 World Cup representatives Cook Islands 44-22 in Sydney at the weekend to claim their biggest ever international scalp.

The result builds on another big win against South Africa in May.

Brendan Perenara says he introduced five new caps against the Kukis, who also played a number of new faces.

He says more and more players are putting their hands up for second and third tier countries.

"Tas Baitieri, the International Rugby League Development Officer, was down there. He was overwhelmed at what we have done to achieve for that day - Cook Islanders and Niue Rugby League have collaborated and put that date together. Hopefully we can get something going in the future like a mini Pacific Cup in Sydney, so it will probably be one of the first".

Brendan Perenara says that's their next aim, to secure more regular international matches.