Pasifika Youth set to take up a new rugby league challenge again with the Pasifika Youth Cup 2021 in October

The inaugural rugby league Pasifika Youth Cup 2021 is set to kick off in October with a competition for both Pasifika boys and girls starting from U13s through to U18s.

It's an exciting opportunity for Pasifika and Maori youth to showcase their talent and also represent their respective island nations heritage in this one of a kind tournament.

In 2017, the Warriors added another layer to their development programme with the introduction of the Pasifika Youth Cup which was hosted in association with the New Zealand Maori Rugby League.

At that time the Pasifika Youth Cup featured U16 & U18 teams from NZ Maori, Samoa, Fiji NZ, Cook Islands and Auckland Niue Rugby League.

Fast forward to 2021, the Pasifika Youth Cup will now feature seven Pacific nations.  The Pasifika Youth Cup resurgence came about with conversations between Samoa Rugby League executive Muliaga Brown and Warriors coach Tony Iro who is a Cook Islander.

The team behind the seven nations teams - Aotearoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, Niue, Samoa, Tokelau and Tonga talk here (in the video above) about the upcoming comp.

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Peep highlights from the 2019 Womens Rugby League tournament in Otahuhu below 

Dates and times for the Pasifika Youth Cup:

U15 Boys - Saturday 23 October 2021 - Walter Massey Park TBC

U17 Boys - Friday 22 October 2021 - Monday 25 October 2021 - Walter Massey Park TBC

U13 - U14 Boys - Saturday 6 November 2021 - Sunday 7 November 2021 - Avondale Race Course TBC

U14, U16, U18 Girls - Saturday 6 November 2021 - Sunday 7 November 2021 - Avondale Race Course TBC

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A Pac U17s merit team will then be selected from the Pasifika Youth Cup U17s grade to play the NZ residents U16s at Mt Smart Stadium on Saturday 16th November 21.