Pacific Cup
The Pacific Cup was a rugby league football competition for national teams from the Pacific region.
History
The Pacific Cup was started in 1975 by Keith Gittoes of the New South Wales Rugby League.rugby league
Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...
tournament held between Pacific teams. The tournament was hosted in the Cook Islands and eventually won by the New Zealand Māori side, who defeated
Western Samoa
Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands ( Manono and Apolima); a ...
in the final.
Background
The 1986 Pacific Cup was the first to be held after the cancellation of the planned 1979 version. Only the New Zealand Māori side returned from the first two editions, as this Pacific Cup had a more Pacific Island focus than the first two which included Papua New Guinea (who now had Test status) and Australian lower grade sides.
Riki Cowan
Areariki Arthur Cowan "Riki" Cowan (born 28 December 1963) is a New Zealand rugby league footballer who represented New Zealand and the Cook Islands.
Playing career
Cowan represented Auckland and the New Zealand Māori side before being select ...
.
*Coached by Richard Bolton, the New Zealand Māori squad included
Gary Mercer
Gary Ivan Mercer (born 22 June 1966) is a New Zealand rugby league and rugby union coach and former professional rugby league footballer. A New Zealand international representative player, he has spent most of his career in Britain both playing ...
,
Dave Watson
David Watson (born 20 November 1961) is an English football manager and former professional footballer.
As a player, he was a defender from 1980 to 2001. He played his entire career for Norwich City and Everton. With the Toffees he played in ...
,
Adrian Shelford
Adrian Tremain Shelford (4 January 1964 – 19 September 2003) was a New Zealand rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. He played at representative level for New Zealand, and at club level for Wigan and Wakefield Trinity ( H ...
Mark Horo
Mark Gregory Horo (born 27 March 1963) is a New Zealand rugby league coach and former footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. A New Zealand national rugby league team, New Zealand international representative, he played club football in N ...
,
Tawera Nikau
Tawera Nuieia Nikau (born 1 January 1967) is a New Zealand former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. A New Zealand international representative forward, he played club football at a number of different club ...
Ron O'Regan
Ronald Phillip O'Regan is a New Zealand former rugby league footballer, and coach who represented New Zealand between 1983 and 1986. His nephew, Daniel, played for the New Zealand Warriors.
Playing career
As a young boy he idolised players such ...
, Owen Wright, Tracey McGregor, Andrew Vincent and Brendon Tuuta all pulled out of the side due to injury or professional club commitments. The Māori side played a warm up game before the competition began, defeating
Waikato
Waikato () is a Regions of New Zealand, local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipa District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton City ...
52–32. It was the first time in over two decades that the Māori side was comprised completely of Māori players, as the side had previously also picked Polynesian players.
*Tokelau included
Sam Panapa
Samuel Lameko Panapa is a New Zealand former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. He represented three countries in his career: Tokelau, New Zealand and Western Samoa. Panapa played his club football in Aucklan ...
. The rest of the squad was selected entirely from domestic players, chosen from a population of just over 1000.
*Tonga included
John Fifita
John Fifita ( to, Sione Fifita) (born 28 July 1959) is a Tongan former professional rugby league footballer who represented Tonga in the 1986 Pacific Cup and played as a professional in England and Australia.
Playing career
Fifita played for t ...
Paddy Tuimavave
Paddy Tuimavave is a former professional rugby league footballer who played as a in the 1980s and 1990s and represented both New Zealand and Western Samoa.
Background
He is related to Evarn and Tony, who have both also played for the New Zea ...
, Esene Faimalo, Robert Moimoi, Mike Kerrigan, Richard Setu and
Paul Okesene
Paul Okesene () (14 November 1967 – 15 September 2012) was a Samoan rugby league footballer who represented both Western Samoa and American Samoa.
Background
His brother, Hitro, also played international rugby league.
Playing career
A Manuk ...
The 1986 Pacific Cup Tournament team was named at the end of the tournament and included: George Huriwai (Māori),
Gary Mercer
Gary Ivan Mercer (born 22 June 1966) is a New Zealand rugby league and rugby union coach and former professional rugby league footballer. A New Zealand international representative player, he has spent most of his career in Britain both playing ...
Paddy Tuimavave
Paddy Tuimavave is a former professional rugby league footballer who played as a in the 1980s and 1990s and represented both New Zealand and Western Samoa.
Background
He is related to Evarn and Tony, who have both also played for the New Zea ...
(Samoa),
Sam Panapa
Samuel Lameko Panapa is a New Zealand former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. He represented three countries in his career: Tokelau, New Zealand and Western Samoa. Panapa played his club football in Aucklan ...
(Tokelau), Neville Ramsay (Māori), Dave Sefuiva (Samoa),
Adrian Shelford
Adrian Tremain Shelford (4 January 1964 – 19 September 2003) was a New Zealand rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. He played at representative level for New Zealand, and at club level for Wigan and Wakefield Trinity ( H ...
(Māori), Simona Foua (Tokelau), Mick Curran (Tonga), Simona Foua (Samoa), Sam Stewart (Māori),
John Fifita
John Fifita ( to, Sione Fifita) (born 28 July 1959) is a Tongan former professional rugby league footballer who represented Tonga in the 1986 Pacific Cup and played as a professional in England and Australia.
Playing career
Fifita played for t ...
Pacific Cup
The Pacific Cup was a rugby league football competition for national teams from the Pacific region.
History
The Pacific Cup was started in 1975 by Keith Gittoes of the New South Wales Rugby League.Pacific Cup
The Pacific Cup was a rugby league football competition for national teams from the Pacific region.
History
The Pacific Cup was started in 1975 by Keith Gittoes of the New South Wales Rugby League.Rugby league in the Cook Islands1986 in the Cook Islands1986 in New Zealand rugby leaguePacific Cup