Kiwis dream a reality thanks to exemption
MARATA Niukore has been given a special exemption to play for the Kiwis at next month’s Rugby League World Cup.
Under International Rugby League rules, the NZ Warriorsbound forward wouldn’t be allowed to play in the tournament.
The reason is that he played for the Cook Islands in a World Cup qualifying test against the USA in 2019. Earlier this year he played for the Kiwis against
Tonga at Mt Smart Stadium.
Under the rules, Niukore shouldn’t be able to represent either the Cook Islands or New Zealand next month.
Rule 10 of the International Rugby League’s eligibility rules for international league states a player can move between a tier one and a tier two nation freely, but this may not happen during a tournament, including qualifying.
So that rule blocks Niukore from playing for the Kiwis at the World Cup, being hosted by England.
Then he gets hit by rule three, which says a player who has elected to represent a nation cannot then elect to represent another nation in the same calendar year.
This prevents him from switching back to representing the Cook Islands at the World
Cup.
Kiwis coach Michael Maguire explained the predicament Niukore found himself in and how a solution was found.
‘‘He played a qualifying game three years ago for the Cook Islands and there is a rule that if you’ve played in a qualifying game, you couldn’t then play for another country [at a World Cup],’’ Maguire said.
‘‘Marata had no idea of that rule at the time. He had the opportunity to play [for the Cook Islands]. Probably wasn’t as established as he is now as a firstgrader, so he went and played.
‘‘Fast forward to this year’s mid-year test. Marata had knowledge that if he played in that test, there was every chance he wouldn’t play in the World
Cup.
‘‘But we were very fortunate that the committee for the World Cup looked at that situation, looked at the human side of things, and allowed him now to be qualified to be able to play for
New Zealand.’’
The 26-year-old Niukore was born in Auckland and it had always been his dream to play for the Kiwis.
He has had a sensational year for the Parramatta Eels, scoring two late tries in Friday night’s
40-4 NRL semifinal win against Canberra, but from next season will be at the NZ Warriors.
While it appeared cut and dried that Niukore wouldn’t play for any nation at the World Cup, New Zealand Rugby League argued there were an unusual set of circumstances which led to this situation, including the World
Cup being put back a year because of Covid-19.
‘‘Marata has always wanted to play for the Kiwis and showed that by playing the mid-year test, knowing that there could have been a restriction on him playing at the World Cup,’’ Maguire said.
‘‘But the international committee looked at it and felt there was enough for them to say he was able to play for New Zealand.
‘‘The Cook Islands’ guys, to their credit, they’ve been across this and have supported the situation as well.’’
Meanwhile, Maguire said it’s unfortunate the Kiwis won’t be able to make a visit to New Zealand before the World Cup.
The team, excluding those playing in the NRL grand final, will assemble in Sydney on September 27 and three days later depart for England.
‘‘We would have loved to have come to New Zealand, we had that planned,’’ he said.
‘‘But because the World Cup was pushed back and now it’s a week earlier in the calendar, we can’t be in New Zealand and allow the fans to see their players before they head away.
‘‘It was something we were really looking forward to, but one thing I do know about the players is that they know their country and people are right behind them.’’