With the 2025 domestic rugby league season now over, attention shifts to boosting the number of officials for the next season, with a former referees’ director encouraging interested individuals to step up to the challenge.

Taua Benioni says the Cook Islands Rugby League Referees Association (CIRLRA) has only managed to maintain five to 10 referees over the past five years.

According to Benioni, the Rugby League Referees Association’s doors were always open to new members, but they had little luck with recruitment.

“Come game day, whatever the allocation of games given per member, whether it’s officiating the middle, touch judging or bench administrating, the job gets done regardless,” said the former Asia-Pacific Rugby League Confederation (APRLC) representative to the Cook Islands.

He says the limited pool of referees means they aren’t available to officiate the age group and junior development programmes introduced by the Cook Islands Rugby League Association.

“The CIRLA structured a junior development programme also being very successful, which was run every Saturday morning from 9am to 12pm by the clubs themselves, and it just so happens that some parents that arrive to support their kids, they end up kindly volunteering to referee the game that their child plays in, with no support from referee officials of CIRLRA because of work commitments. It was left to CIRLA’s junior development team to manage.”

Benioni pointed out that the competition rules stated “for each club to nominate two of their members as referee officials, especially to help out at junior level”.

“CIRLRA is encouraging each and every one, females especially, students, ex-players, players that have had enough but still want to remain within the game, even the person(s) who have a lot to say up in the grandstand, come forward and offer your services, for which ever grade, juniors, seniors and up through to premier level and even administration,” he said.

“CIRLRA is always looking forward to working with bigger numbers. The limited numbers and older 50 years plus members, doesn’t make it easier, but because of the passion within, this small group always gets the job done, good or bad.”

In April this year, Cook Islands Rugby League suspended a week of senior league matches in the Rarotonga League 13s domestic competition due to concerns about the abuse of match officials. The matches were deferred to the following week to address issues concerning the wellbeing and safety of officials, as well as a shortage of officiating staff.

“There has been increasing concerns with the behaviour of our players, some coaching staff and also the supporters and fans at our local league games towards our officials,” competition coordinator Francis Toa then told Cook Islands News.

“Our officials who are already short staffed have grown tired of accepting the abuse as a norm with some officials resigning their post.

“Some people – not all, come to the game with all their ugly attitude and shout nonsense at our officials, verbally abuse and/or threaten them and laugh about it, not realising that those officials are human too and are doing their job to the best of their abilities and that they don’t need that kind of disrespect.”

Benioni said there is always room for changes to improve and to protect officials.

He also said that since players, management and fans are exposed to top-level rugby league competitions like the NRL, they expect a similar level of officiating from local officials.

“CIRLA can only do what they can with the resources they have here in the Cook Islands,” Benioni said. “Pending on the interest shown, for a start, we are hoping there will be more directions of knowledge shared amongst us all, the running of workshops, implementing rugby league laws, referee levels and gradings, exams, etc.”

“The Cook Island Rugby League Referees Association’s main objective is to recoup, regroup and restart for 2026.”