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Robin Heymann

Kia Ora!

When it comes to judging a Rugby Sevens gig, if there is one bloke you might want to listen to it is Eric Rush.

“I’ve been up to the Cooks on a number of occasions and loved it every time. It’s a great place to visit and a great tournament to attend. We stayed, trained and played with the local boys, but we all got together at night time. You weren’t allowed to stay out of the nocturnal activities!”

Kiwi legend Rush will go down as one Sevens’ very best Hall of Famers. He won everything going, with two Commonwealth Games golds, IRB Series titles, and a World Cup Sevens winner’s medal in the locker, before retiring at 39. Although he has graced some of the biggest stages going, he will always have a soft spot for the Cook Island International Sevens, which he returns to this weekend for the event’s 20th anniversary.

Good 'ole days

The tournament’s halcyon days were primarily in the 80s and early 90s. Stellar names immersing themselves amongst the honesty of the local culture is one of the major themes of the event. Founder and visionary of the tournament, Amene Rangi, got Rush to act as an unofficial player agent for the tournament, managing to persuade the likes of Jonah Lomu, Richard Turner, Brian Lima, Waisale Serevi and Paula Bale to jet in.

There was no shortage of players in New Zealand, Australia, Fiji and Samoa who were willing and able to take part and in those days, with rugby still carrying an amateur tag the costs involved was a lot less than it is today.

The anecdotes from the glory years certainly bring a smile. Traditionally overseas players get given an adopted family for a few days to live with. Legend has it one year the visionary behind the event, Amene Rangi, went to collect another All-Black legend Graeme Bachop from one particular household.

Rangi found the former the great halfback out back raking the rubbish and performing other menial tasks assigned to him! Or what about one of Rush’s favourite memories from his first year at the event?

“The local police had a team and the prisoners also had a team. They put them in the same pool and they played in the last game on the first day. The prisoners didn’t have any boots and all the crowd were cheering for them. One guy scored a try and pretended to run out the gate!”

Rangi’s vision to bring renowned overseas in players has never dwindled. Nor has the commitment to uncover vastly gifted unknowns from neighbouring islands who have pitched up and impressed national selectors in the past.

Making a comeback

Recently the tournament has lost its way with little commitment to marketing and exposure.
That has seemingly all changed now with the CI Union appointing travel experts Destination Cook Island to reinvigorate this much loved affair in Rarotonga.

“The appeal for overseas teams to travel to this event outside of playing rugby would certainly be the attraction to experience a ‘pacific island destination’ – the sun, surf, culture and people of the Cook Islands,” said Lara Sadaraka a representative from Destination Cook Island.

Although interest has massively picked up for the tournament, it’s been slightly impinged this year by the stifling economic conditions plaguing us all currently.

“Our event’s had huge exposure in the rugby world and we subsequently fielded an unprecedented number of inquiries. Unfortunately due to the recession and the impact it had on a lot of Clubs throughout New Zealand and even Australia at least seven teams had to withdraw along the way,” added Sadaraka.

Sounds familiar and the Cook Islands are certainly not alone. Nonetheless both the men’s and women’s line up for the weekend looks set to be the most competitive for a while.

Tauae Bulls will return to defend their title this year and have impressively either won the competition or at least made it to the finals over the last 5 years. They usually manage to boast a few top New Zealand Sevens maestros in their ranks with the likes of Zar Lawrence, Edwin Cocker & Rene Ranger donning a Bulls jersey last November.

The Southern Storm are a side looking forward to making their debut at the event and have the ability to cause a stir. Their players were spotted by Cook Islands rugby legend Koiatu Koiatu at the New Zealand National Sevens in Queenstown earlier this year, who recommended them attend this weekend’s party. Storm’s coordinator Rebecca Whyte came to the tournament with an Auckland side in 2007 and has been itching to return ever since.

Local Cook Island teams include Araura Enua (Aitutaki), Avatiu-Nikao and Ngatangiia-Matavera, while there is also ex-pat Samoan (Samoan Community) and Fiji (Tabusoro) sides competing. Vaivase Samania will be another to make a difference to the Fijians, with his experiences with the Cook Islands at the Wellington leg of the IRB Sevens Series. Hastings Rugby & Sports and College Rifles should ruffle a few of the big boy’s feathers also.

Sharpen UP (formally competed as Arongatahi and won in 2006) are the favourites in the women’s division but T&M Crushers (2008 Runner-Up) and Avatiu Motor Centre Eels provide stiff opposition indeed.

Sevens seems perfect fit

 The perennial crowd favorites at the Wellington leg of the IRB Sevens Series they might be, but Sevens has tended to take a back seat to 15-a-side commitments for the Cook Islands.

Olympic status is likely to change this radically though, with the CIU surely understanding their time and investment should be based on the abbreviated code, where more realistic riches and recognition is on offer.

The talent and skills are certainly there. You only have to look at the success that the Cook Island enjoyed at the Touch Rugby events at the Pacific Mini Games, with the men claiming gold and the women picking up silver, to realise the ability that needs to be tapped into.

More exposure and attention tournaments like the Cook Island International Sevens can get, the more likely it is the island can put find some more stars like Koiatu Koiatu.

For the moderately conservative Cook Islanders the thought of Sevens party dovetailed with elaborate fancy dress might be unrealistic. But the tournament bonds the community together bringing a great deal of colour and flamboyance to proceedings.

“Because the Cook Islands is a popular pacific island destination a lot of what is offered on the island is geared towards making your stay in the a fun one.

“You can visit the outer-islands, go quad biking inland, take a lagoon cruise and do some snorkelling, experience a cultural evening of Cook Islands song, dance and food or simply relax on the beach and enjoy the sun,” says Sadaraka.

She’s sold it to me and to most of you too I imagine. The most sparkling of hidden gems on the Sevens calendar? It’s got to be up there. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to get a team over to play? Well you know which website to contact if you’re keen for 2010...

With thanks to Dave Campbell of NZ Rugby News