14/05/2026
The Rugby League World Cup kicks off this October, and it’s an exciting moment for the global game.
Unfortunately, it also highlights a missed opportunity for Niue rugby league as a nation.
We are a proud people with proven ability on the world stage, yet under the current administration, we find ourselves without meaningful international progress or presence. From a global perspective, we’ve been in the wilderness for the past 8 years.
As RLWC26 unfolds, we will watch other nations compete while Niue rugby league remains absent from the conversation. Many in the rugby league community are left wondering what happened to the proud rock nation of Niue.
Regardless of the politics, our focus remains the community. The collective, under this banner, have proudly taken teams to Japan, South Africa, and Vanuatu, and we will continue to represent the Niuean jersey with pride - on and off the field.
The current Niue rugby league administration has prevented us from accumulating international ranking points that would have contributed toward potential qualification for events such as the Rugby League World Cup.
That said, sit back and enjoy RLWC26 - it’s going to be a great tournament. But it does make you think: how much better would it have been if Niue were there representing our proud island nation?