Four One New Zealand Warriors including the club’s NRLW players’ player of the year Kaiyah Atai have been called up by the Cook Islands for the Pacific Championships.
Coming out of local rugby league to make her NRLW debut as Warrior #61, second rower Atai (23) appeared in all 11 games in the club’s return to the competition this year.
Such was her impact her teammates voted her their player of the year while she was also rewarded with a contract extension to the end of the 2027 season.
Atai is joined in the Cook Islands squad by fellow NRLW rookies Lydia Turua-Quedley, Lavinia Kitai and Ashlee Matapo.
Warrior #65 Turua-Quedley (26) and Warrior #59 Kitai (21) also featured in all NRLW 11 games this year while Matapo, signed as a development player, was only 18 when she became Warrior #66 in round one going on to play in eight matches.
The Cook Islands are playing in the second-tier Pacific Bowl competition being played in Port Moresby. They open their campaign against the PNG Orchids on October 18 and the Tonga on October 25 as they seek to make the final in Sydney on November 9.
Three of the Warriors’ quartet have previous international experience.
Atai played the first of her two Tests for the Cooks in 2023, Turua-Quedley has five Tests to her name after debuting at the 2017 Rugby League World Cup and Kitai’s five-Test career began at the 2022 Rugby League World Cup.
Cook Islands | 2025 Pacific Championships
April Ngatupuna (Queensland Reds rugby union)
Ashlee Matapo (One New Zealand Warriors)
Chantay Kiria-Ratu (Cronulla Sutherland Sharks)
Deleni Paitai-Wakely (Brisbane Bears)
Hannah Makira (Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs)
Jazmon Tupou-Witchman (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
Jodeci Joseph (Papakura Sisters)
Kaiyah Atai (One New Zealand Warriors)
Keira Rangi (Souths Logan Magpies)
Kerehitna Matua (Canberra Raiders)
Kiana Takairangi (Parramatta Eels)
Kiarah Siauane (Souths Logan Magpies)
Lavinia Kitai (One New Zealand Warriors)
Lydia Turua-Quedley (One New Zealand Warriors)
Memory Paitai (Brisbane Bears)
Ngatokotoru Arakua (Souths Logan Magpies)
Paulina Morris-Ponga (Akarana Falcons)
Anne-Marie Kiria-Ratu (Cronulla Sutherland Sharks)
Pearl Tuitama (Ipswich Jets)
Porsche Samson-John
