‘One big family’ – that is what ‘Kopu tangata Okotai’ means in the Cook Islands Maori language.

And it was that family which came together earlier this month, as the Cook Islands Handball Association joined forces with the International Handball Federation (IHF) and Oceania Continent Handball Federation (OCHF) – plus additional input from Handball Australia – to help pull together the biggest-ever handball event in the Oceania nation.

Amongst many other sports, Beach Handball featured at the third edition of the ‘Cook Islands Games’ (CIK), with five competitions taking place: U18s men’s and women’s, Open men’s and women’s and Mixed (45+ years old).

In total, 444 individual athletes registered for the Beach Handball competitions, hailing from 11 out of the 13 inhibited islands of the 15 islands that make up the Cook Islands. An when you consider that the population of the nation is just under 14,000, it is an impressive amount.

Perhaps more impressive was the 148% increase in entries for this year’s edition of the Games, compared to last year, but this unprecedented growth led to Makiroa Mitchell-John, President of Handball Cook Islands, seeking assistance from both the OCHF and IHF to help manage the event.

So up stepped IHF Beach Handball referee couple Daniela Andreea Enache and Corina Floriana Constantin to help officiate, mentor and deliver a workshop, while Handball Australia sent new referee pair Claire Dennerley and Sally Potocki.

From Asia to Oceania via Romania

June: whistling in China at the 2024 IHF Men’s and Women’s Beach Handball World Championships on Pingtan Island.

October: whistling and conducting a workshop on the island of Rarotonga at the 2024 Cook Islands Games.

It certainly is an interesting career as an IHF Beach Handball referee, and for the Romanian pair of Daniela (Dana) Andreea Enache and Corina Floriana Constantin – who have whistled together for eight years – this past week has been something they will never forget.

“This experience for us was unique,” says Constantin, who started playing handball at 10 and has refereed for 12 years, including seven on the sand, to ihf.info. “For the first time, we were mentors for other Beach Handball referees.”

Indeed, not only were the Europeans tasked with workshop delivery and training/upskilling the locals, but with mentoring the pair from Australia, who are making early steps on the international pathway.

“For two days we conducted a course designed especially for referees, but also for officials and players too who wanted to expand their knowledge in Beach Handball,” explains Enache.

“All participants showed an interest, dedication and desire to grow throughout the course and in competition. We had a good experience with a close and supportive community who are working to develop this sport and align it in the Cook Islands to international standards and they provided us with positive feedback after the course.

“We then went on to officiate at the Games where we saw both an improvement of refereeing and level of play from the athletes from match-to-match.

“We found the right people to work with and share experiences during this course,” adds Constantin. “As proof, the players, coaches, referees and all those involved in the event created a beautiful atmosphere during the Games.”

Off of the sand, the pair have taken extra memories home with them.

“We were welcomed at the airport very nicely by Makiroa Mitchell-John and her team, with music and garlands of flowers,” explains Constantin. 

“Although we didn't have much time to be tourists, I can say that the beaches in Rarotonga are gorgeous, and the colours of the Pacific water are impressive. The island gives you a feeling of peace and relaxation and I would love to come back and explore more.”

This is a view echoed by Enache, who has also been a referee for 12 years, eight of them on the sand.

“We enjoyed the island atmosphere from the entrance to the airport, where we were greeted with traditional live music and that very warm welcome from Makiroa Mitchell-John and her team,” said Enache. “The Cook Islands presents a variety of tourist activities, for all tastes, whether you want to relax on the stunning beach, or you want to practice water sports or hiking.

“Even though our programme was quite busy and we didn't have much time to explore the beauties of the island, what we could see was amazing, from the gorgeous beach, to the tour of the island and our introduction to local life, which included an ‘Island Night’ cultural show where we had the opportunity to taste fresh and delicious food and take part of a performance with dancers who shared their history through music and dance.”

Neighbours helping, Oceania’s first Beach Handball referee representatives?

With well over 5,000km and a 10-hour flight separating the capitals of the Cook Islands and Australia – Avarua and Canberra, respectively – the two countries are neighbours. 

And what do neighbours do?

They help each other.

The call went into Handball Australia with Potocki and Dennerley quickly identified as being able to help, part of their journey in becoming, potentially, the first-ever OCHF Beach Handball Referees.

But keen followers of the sport will associate the name of Sally Potocki more with the indoor game than that of the sand.

The 35-year-old has played the sport for well over a decade, captaining the Australian national (indoor) team at the 2019 IHF Women’s World Championship in Kumamoto, Japan, in addition to appearing at two other senior women’s world championships (France 2007, Serbia 2013) and a junior world championship (North Macedonia 2008).

Further to this, the left-back played her club handball in the German Bundesliga for approaching eight years, but as she started on the journey towards ending her professional, indoor career, she looked towards the sand.

In 2023, she made her national team Beach Handball debut at the continental championships in Australia after playing for a year and also whistling for the first time at the 2023 Australian Beach Handball Club Championships.

Potocki quickly progressed to captaining the national team, leading them at the 2024 IHF Women’s Beach Handball World Championships in Pingtan, China, where she played all nine games, scoring 49 points.

Alongside her with the whistle in the Cook Islands was Claire Dennerley, who has been involved with all forms of handball in Australia as a player, coach, referee and junior development officer for nearly two decades.

2010 was a pivotal year in her handball career. Not only did she captain the indoor Australian team at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games, but she played at the 2010 IHF Women’s Junior World Championships in the Republic of Korea. It was also that year she started playing Beach Handball, progressing to refereeing on the sand in 2011.

Fast-forward to 2014 and Dennerely completed the first Beach Handball refereeing course held in Australia, under the guidance of the well-respected George Bebetsos. Ever since, she has been a mainstay at the Australian nationals.

And the Cook Islands this month provided a perfect opportunity to continue her development and journey on the sand.

“Opportunities to learn from professionals in Oceania are limited by our geographic location, so we both went to the Cook Islands prepared to learn as much as we could from Dana and Corina, to then apply and develop ourselves and the game in the region into the future,” explained Dennerely to ihf.info.

“Sally and I are a new partnership, and are extremely grateful for the IHF’s and OCHF’s support in selecting us to undertake training and referee at the Cook Islands Games. The experience was invaluable. Dana and Corina delivered a theoretical training course that improved my understanding and clarified rules from their highly-experienced perspective.

“We had a structured feedback process after each game with the refereeing group, which allowed us to reflect and continuously improve our practice. Dana and Corina answered every single question and scenario we asked them.

“Over the three days, I felt a significant improvement in my confidence and ability - due to the increase in match practice and professional mentoring provided. Subsequently, the standard of play improved on-court as a direct result of our improved officiating capacity.”

The experience on the sand proved invaluable to the Aussie pair, who ended up whistling 26 matches in Rarotonga, but it was also the overall experience which will remain long-term in their memories as they look to make an impact not only continentally, but on the global stage.

“Our hosts were extremely hospitable and welcoming, and ran a very successful tournament that preserved and promoted the spirit of the game,” said Dennerley. “Since the tournament, a number of players and refereeing colleagues have graciously expressed their thanks for our involvement. 

“Sally and I are working with the OCHF to forge a pathway forward in Australia to be the first internationally-accredited referees in Oceania. 

“Formal mentoring relationships with IHF officials would further accelerate our development as referees, and expanding opportunities to officiate as many matches as possible throughout Oceania, and potentially other further-developed regions such as Asia, Europe and the Americas would enhance our individual growth and strengthen the presence, reputation and competitiveness of the Oceanian Federation.

“We both know from our experience as national players that continued practice and exposure to international matches will be essential for our ongoing development.”

“I like to dream big,” added Potocki. “This is part of our pathway, our journey, towards an international accreditation. Nothing stops us from being referees at a world championship or one of the international events and the Cook Islands experience is another step on the journey for us.”

Leaders leading…and playing for something bigger than the game

Ongoing development is certainly something that the Cook Islands and their hardworking handball family know about.

Having existed for just over a quarter of a century, the Cook Islands Handball Association have been busy in both forms of the game making it one of the most popular activities in the nation, as evidenced by those phenomenal figures from the Games.

While that growth is impressive, it is strengthened by the support of politicians on the islands, and not just through speeches or pledges. 

The Cook Islands do things differently: their politicians roll their sleeves up, or in the case of the Cook Islands, take them off completely and put on their Beach Handball kits.

“Beach Handball has truly captured the spirit of the Cook Islands and during our event at the Games our Honourable Prime Minister, Mr Mark Brown, our Honourable Minister of Youth and Sport, Mr Vaine Mac Mokoroa and Honourable Member of Parliament, Mrs Sarakura Tapaitau, played and showcased their skills on the sand,” explained Mitchell-John, who revealed to ihf.info that former professional rugby league player Kevin Iro also played in the competition, lining up in the Prime Minister’s team.

“We were so blessed to have them be a part of our sport – they were amazing. Playing for their respective island teams, they not only demonstrated their athleticism but also inspired a sense of unity and pride among the community.

“The energy and enthusiasm they brought to the game were infectious, making it an unforgettable experience for everyone involved. Witnessing our leaders actively participate in this vibrant sport was a testament to their commitment to promoting health, teamwork, and the rich cultural heritage of the Cook Islands.”

What’s next?

With all the positivity emanating from the Games, thoughts for Mitchell-John and the association progress to the continued discovery, development and progression of playing and administrative talent from national through to continental and even global levels, alongside the officiating.

The referee course held as part of the Games fed into the Cook Islands ‘Te Onu Platform’ which features two aspects. The first aspect is ‘Kupenga’ which aims to recruit and retain people throughout the Cook Islands who are interested in handball. This is then followed by the second aspect ‘Raranga’, which helps to nurture and educated those involved with the sport, empowering them with the knowledge and skills of the game required, whatever their role; athlete, referee, team manager or team attaché, for example.

“We are continuing our national and grassroots development,” adds Mitchell-John about the months ahead. “We have a good pool of playing talent to select from now and most of them live in the Cook Islands. We prioritise local-based and homegrown players first before those based overseas as, for us, it’s about true development and sustainability.

“We also have around 16 referees and eight table officials too, which are good numbers for us – our Cook Islands Handball referee commission, co-chaired by Paul Luiz Van Eijk and Maureen Katoa, identify talent and educate potential referees through our local competitions. When teams enter competitions, they must have referees with them.

“Advanced courses are scheduled by the OCHF Referees Commission, led by Gaston Fuso, who is the Oceania representative on the IHF Referees Commission. So far, we have focussed on indoor handball, but they are looking into Beach Handball now.”

“Having this experience from the IHF referees has really opened our minds and helped in us understanding a lot of the situations that we've had difficulties in,” explained Paul Luiz van Eijk, responsible for refereeing and officiating in the Cook Islands, to local media at the event.

“We know that three days is not really enough to cover everything, but it's a good start and to have International Handball Federation referees here is something extraordinary for us. The sport has great potential for us here in the Cook Islands. We've been to a few competitions now and I believe that the sand is such a great equaliser for us; it’s just a matter of us understanding the game better and having more opportunities to play internationally.”

As Beach Handball continues to take over the island nation, more competitions are planned, but it is the long-term, wider impact of the sport, which is most important for those involved with the sport on the islands.

“Beach Handball at the 2024 Cook Islands Games was epic and went really well and it is a testament to how hard we have worked as a small national federation since February 1998,” explained Mitchell-John.

“My mother – Mama Keu Patu Mitchell – and I started this all back then on her front lawn in the village of Avatiu on Rarotonga. No one would allow us to hire an area to play on and we had a real hard time starting this sport because people didn’t want another sport here and we were women.

“Our legacy was to ensure that we look after the well-being of our people and to use Handball as a vehicle to providing a quality of life for our Cook Island people as well as our Oceania member families.

“Events like the Cook Islands Games can be a gamechanger for Oceania. It’s economical for our people as we are accessible to beaches – we are the people of the ‘Moana’ ocean. It is where we can navigate our pathway up the world and Olympic ladder.

“We have our own senior local competitions and events, but continue to look towards youth, juniors and Masters events which are becoming popular,” she adds.

“We also want to be active at decreasing our non-communicable disease statistics in our country providing a healthy lifestyle for all. We put back all of what we have learnt into our communities as a lot of what we learn in this sport is also about transferring and survivor skills.

“Beach Handball radiates and resonates with our Oceania family. Our indigenous aspects of our culture and customs when you visit our IHF Trophy events, for example, identify us and our heritage from the Oceania region.

“This sport has changed the mindset of our people and it has given us tools of knowledge in life for our survival – the world is evolving and we have challenges that we will face as a people. The knowledge and skills in this sport are transferable in our lives to face those challenges, for example, technology, good governance and accountability.”

Credit photo: CB Sports