| Date of birth | 26 November 1977 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Place of birth | Cook Islands | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 83 kg (183 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Koiatu Koiatu (born Cook Islands, 26 November 1977) is a Cook Islands rugby union footballer. He plays as a fullback and as wing.
Koiatu currently plays for Bombay and for Counties Manukau, in New Zealand. He is an international player for Cook Islands, both at XV and Sevens. He played at the IRB Sevens World Series, in 2006 and 2008.
Koiatu now lives in Perth Western Australia where he plays and coaches at Wanneroo Districts Rugby Union Club, historically and currently Perth's premier club.
World Rugby is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. World Rugby organises the Rugby World Cup every four years, the sport's most recognised and most profitable competition. It also organises a number of other international competitions, such as the World Rugby Sevens Series, the Rugby World Cup Sevens, the World Under 20 Championship, and the Pacific Nations Cup.
New Zealand Rugby (NZR) is the governing body of rugby union in New Zealand. It was founded in 1892 as the New Zealand Rugby Football Union (NZRFU), 12 years after the first provincial unions in New Zealand. In 1949 it became an affiliate to the International Rugby Football Board, now known as World Rugby, the governing body of rugby union for the world. It dropped the word "Football" from its name in 2006. The brand name New Zealand Rugby was adopted in 2013. Officially, it is an incorporated society with the name New Zealand Rugby Union Incorporated.
Rugby union in Australia has a history of organised competition dating back to the late 1860s. Although traditionally most popular in Australia's rugby football strongholds of New South Wales, Queensland and the ACT, it is played throughout the nation.
The Niue Island national rugby union team is the national team of the third tier rugby union playing nation of Niue Island. The team first started playing in 1983 in mainly competes in the Oceania Cup, which it won in 2008. Rugby union in Niue Island is administered by the Niue Rugby Football Union.
The Tahiti national rugby union team is a third tier rugby union team, representing the island of Tahiti in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France. They first played in 1971 and have played numerous games to date, most against rivals Cook Islands and several against Niue. Other games have been played against Samoa, Wallis and Futuna, Papua New Guinea and Tonga. France played a match against Tahiti at the end of their 1979 tour and won 92–12. Plans to have annual "test" match series against Pacific island neighbours, New Caledonia have been put on hold, due to time, availability, finances, and coaching and refereeing resources. They have yet to qualify for the Rugby World Cup. Rugby union in Tahiti is administered by the Fédération Tahitienne de Rugby de Polynésie Française. Currently, players who have represented or played for the Tahiti national rugby team, are eligible to represent France. However, playing at a professional level can only enable this. At present there are several Tahitian professional rugby players abroad in France's Top 14 and Pro D2 professional competition.
The Cook Islands is a third tier rugby union playing nation. They began playing international rugby in early 1971. Thus far, the Cook Islands have not made an appearance at any of the World Cups.
Rugby union in the Cook Islands is a popular sport. It is a tier three rugby playing nation. They began playing international rugby in 1971 and have yet to make the Rugby World Cup. They are currently rated 55th, with 2,258 registered players and 21 clubs.
The Cook Islands national rugby sevens team is a minor national sevens side. They qualified for the 2014 Hong Kong Sevens tournament and played in the World Series Qualifiers.
Sport in Oceania varies from country to country. The most popular playing sport for men in Australia is Australian rules football, while for women is netball. Australian rules football is the most popular sport in terms of spectatorship and television ratings. Rugby union is the most popular sport among New Zealanders, while in Papua New Guinea rugby league is the most popular. While, Cricket is the most popular overall sport in Oceania.
Steve Berryman is a former professional rugby league and rugby union footballer who played the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. He played representative level rugby league (RL) for the New Zealand Māori team and Cook Islands, and at club level for Taniwharau, Waikato Cougars, Wainuiomata Lions, Manly Sea Eagles, Northern Eagles and Toukley Hawks, as a centre, five-eighth, or lock, and club level rugby union (RU) for the Te Whānau side.
Patrick Kuru is a Cook Island former professional rugby league footballer who played as a second-row forward in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. He played at representative level for the Cook Islands, and at club level for the Bay of Plenty Stags and the Altona Roosters.
Richard Piakura is a Cook Island former high jumper, professional rugby league and rugby union footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. He played representative level rugby league (RL) for the Cook Islands, and at club level for Ngatangiia/Matavera Sea Eagles, and representative level rugby union (RU) for the Cook Islands at rugby sevens.
The Cook Islands women's national sevens rugby union team is Cook Islands national representative in Rugby sevens. They competed at the 2015 Oceania Women's Sevens Championship and qualified for the Olympic repechage after placing third. Cook Islands did not qualify for Rio 2016, however, they defeated Hong Kong 17 - 12 to win the bowl final.
Tupou Sopoaga is a New Zealand professional rugby union footballer who currently plays for the Southland Stags in the Mitre 10 Cup. He previously played rugby league for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and the Penrith Panthers of the National Rugby League. A Cook Islands international representative, Sopoaga primarily played second-row and lock.
The Cook Islands competed in the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland from 23 July to 3 August 2014. The country participated in the Commonwealth Games for the tenth time, and has never previously won a medal.
The 2017 Women's Rugby League World Cup was the fifth staging of the Women's Rugby League World Cup and was held in Australia between 16 November and 2 December 2017. Pool and semi-final matches was held at Southern Cross Group Stadium in Sydney, with the final held at Brisbane Stadium. The final was played as a double-header with the men's final.
Chance Peni-Ataera is a New Zealand-born rugby union footballer who plays for the Hino Red Dolphins in the Japan Rugby League One competition. He has previously played rugby league for the Cook Islands at international level.
Stacey Ili is a Samoan rugby union player, who currently plays as a midfield back for Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition and for the Rebels in Super Rugby.
Anneka Stephens is a New Zealand rugby league footballer who played for the St. George Illawarra Dragons in the NRL Women's Premiership. She has represented Cook Islands in rugby sevens.
George Bell is a New Zealand rugby union player, who plays for Crusaders.
