The Cook Islands make their senior world championship debut in any form of handball at Croatia 2026 after finishing as runners-up at the Oceania championships earlier this year and just 27 years after handball’s beginnings in the nation on the front lawn of the family home of Makiroa Mitchell-John, President of the Cook Islands Handball Federation (CIHF).

With continental champions Australia not able to send a team to Zagreb, their qualification spot was offered to the Oceania Continent Handball Federation (OCHF) and, as the team next in line, the Cook Islands accepted the place.

The qualification comes on the heels of their men’s youth indoor side competing at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games and their men’s youth beach side competing at the 2025 IHF Men’s Youth Beach Handball World Championship in Tunisia last year.

Beach handball has been on the rise in the nation made up of 15 islands and just under 14,000 people thanks to a concerted push by the Cook Islands Handball Association, along with help and assistance from the International Handball Federation, Oceania Continent Handball Federation and Handball Australia.

This growth was evidenced on the sand in Christchurch, New Zealand in February when the Cook Islands women’s team finished second in the four-nation continental event, behind Australia, but ahead of New Zealand and Kiribati, after losing the final against the continental powerhouses Australia 0-2 (8:14, 8:20).

However, the Cook Islands had already shown they meant business, defeating the Aussies 2-1 (14:21, 16:14, SO 5:4) in the preliminary group and seeing off New Zealand (2-0, 18:10, 18:16) and Kiribati (2-0, 26:2, 32:1).

“After a close loss to New Zealand on day one we knew we had to leave it all out on the sand on day two against Kiribati and Australia,” said Cook Islands captain Richelle Gempton to ihf.info about their historic victory. “The key was our teamwork, trusting in each other, and putting our trust in God. We found the Joy in the game and within our team to make those crucial wins that put us into the final in what was an historic moment for Cook Islands Beach Handball.

“Making the final means a lot for us,” she added. “It shows the growth of beach handball and our women’s programme in the Cook Islands, and the hard work the players, coaches and executive team have put in.”

In their preliminary group at Croatia 2026, the Cook Islands have been drawn against the hosts Croatia, as well as 2016 champions Spain, plus Puerto Rico – with all three teams being faced for the first time.

“It was an historic moment for us and for women in sport here in the Cook Islands when the draw was made,” said Mitchell-John, who is also Secretary General of the Oceania Continent Handball Federation (OCHF) to ihf.info.

“We cried happy tears. This moment came after nine years of beach handball development as part of a total of 27 challenging years of developing handball in general in the Cook Islands.”

Alongside captain and three-sport athlete Richelle Gempton, a key player for the Cook Islands is vice-captain Shannon Van Eijk who was voted into the Oceania All-star Team, but her side will be missing two key attacking players in Maureen Katoa and Monica Wichman.

“We are excited to be the first-ever women’s Olympic Games team sport from the Cook Islands to make it to this level and this is our legacy: we will go down in Cook Islands sports history, the first chapter of recorded legacy,” said Mitchell-John.

“We are the unknown as we play a different style of beach handball from the rest in our preliminary group but we will bring to the court cross-skills from various sports that have developed within each of us.

“Physically, we are crafted quite different from your average woman and mentally we are conditioned survivors as we are the backbone of our people. We represent the 15 islands of the Cook Islands – the Northern Group; Pukapuka and Nassau, Penryhn-Tongareva, Manihiki, Rakahanga and Suwarrow – plus the Southern Group of Takutea, Manuae, Mauke, Mangaia, Atiu, Mitiaro, Aitutaki, Palmerston and Rarotonga.

“We are navigating a pathway for women in sport from the small island nation member countries in Oceania,” she added. “We are coming representing Micronesia, Melanesia and Polynesian heritage. We carry the ‘Mana’ of all our tribes and families with us guided by our cross.

“Our players will make history with the first footprints of indigenous women from the Cook Islands stepping out on the sand amongst the best in the world. Although for some this could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, for most it is the beginning of strengthening our handball family by taking up other pathways where we can nurture and develop the tribe.”

Ahead of Croatia 2026, the federation and players have been urging the community to support them, with a number of fundraising drives and community engagement projects.

These have included visits to schools to highlight the sport and the athleticism involved with the aim of inspiring the next generation, with pupils in Year 7 and 8 (11-13 years old) giving the squad posters and cards filled with messages of support for Zagreb.

Croatia 2026 is part of a general fundraising and support drive entitled ‘Rima Auro’ or ‘Give from Your Golden Hand’ which includes Zagreb as well as upcoming continental world championship qualification tournaments and the Youth Olympic Games – in total, 80 Cook Islanders — athletes and officials — will travel across the globe to compete at the highest level.

To help with the costs for the Cook Islands they have set up a GoFundMe account for anyone around the world to donate. This can be found here.

Head coach: Paul Luiz Van Eijk
Assistant Coach: Peter Tangimetua John 
Key Players: Richelle Gempton, Shannon Van Eijk
Qualification information: 2nd – OCHF Women’s Oceania Beach Handball Championship
History in Tournament: 2004-2024: DNQ

Group at Croatia 2026: Group B: Spain, Croatia, Cook Islands, Puerto Rico