11 Jul 2011

Cooks upbeat about proposed friendly match against NZ visitors

3:26 pm on 11 July 2011

A Cook Islands MP says there's enough local talent to put up a rugby team against the likes of former All Black Jonah Lomu and New Zealand foreign minister Murray McCully.

Mr McCully, who has played for the New Zealand parliamentary rugby team, and more than 70 business and political leaders will be in Rarotonga this week as part of an annual tour to the Pacific.

The deputy leader of the opposition, Wilkie Rasmussen, suggested a friendly rugby match, and says the Cooks has a local competition to select from, including a former Prime Minister.

"We've got our own legends, over here. We can call on them to come and play as well. They're not parliamentarians as such, but we do have a pretty enthusiastic golden oldies competition. Sir Terepai Maoate is the patron, and he and I are regular players. Of course, I run faster than he can."

Wilkie Rasmussen says he will be writing to the Prime Minister this week to make the suggestion official.