Having recently made an impact on the sand with appearances in the men’s youth and women’s senior IHF Beach Handball World Championships, the Cook Islands are now set for continental battle as their women’s senior team prepare for the inaugural Oceania Continent Handball Federation (OCHF) IHF Nations Trophy which takes place this week (10 to 14 September) at the Ākau Tangi Sports Centre in Wellington, New Zealand.

Along with the Cook Islands, hosts New Zealand will be joined by Australia, Fiji, New Caledonia, Kiribati and Tahiti in the seven-nation competition.

Never too late

Cook Islands vice-captain Tina (Titifa) Kae was one of the players who represented her country at the senior beach handball world championships earlier this year in Croatia and is now set to face her second major championship in the space of just a few months, in Wellington – having only moved into playing handball recently.

“A year ago I couldn't have imagined any of this,” said the 39-year-old to ihf.info from the Cook Islands capital Rarotonga before departing for New Zealand. “I started handball last year during a time where the focus was on recruiting for national teams and, to be honest, I had no intention of going to this level – I was just keen to learn more about the sport.

“But what a growth journey it has been. It's a big deal even being here. In 2026 alone, I will have represented my beloved island nation three times in handball – at the Oceania (OCHF) Beach Handball Championships, IHF Beach Handball World Championships and now I'm about to represent my country in indoor handball and that's pretty special.

 

“As a ‘mature rookie’ I would never had thought that this was my path but it reminds me that sometimes the path you never planned for can become one of the most rewarding. I am glad to be here and eager to grow the sport in the Cook Islands.”

‘Mature rookie’ is a phrase you do not hear often in sport, but it is one which Kae coined herself and one she does not shy away from

“I wouldn't say I like the term, but it's actually what I am,” she says with a smile. “I’m 39-years-old, but in handball terms I’m still very new and learning all the time. I only picked up the sport last year and certainly didn’t expect that within a year I would be representing my country internationally.

“I truly believe that age is just a number. I'm also a woman of faith and I believe things happen in God's timing. Handball came into my life at 38, at a stage where most people probably aren't thinking about taking up a completely new sport, let alone trying to represent their country in it. But here I am at 39, preparing for my third international handball tournament in my first year.

“One of the biggest motivations for me is my children,” she explains. “I want them to look at what I've done and know that they should never put an expiry date on what they want to achieve. If you are willing to work hard, put your mind to something and have faith, you never really know where an opportunity might take you.”

And that opportunity came with a warm welcome to a team, and a nation, finding its feet on the regional, continental and global handball stage.

“It's important that people are given the opportunity to walk through the door in the first place and I was welcomed with arms wide open, I’m truly grateful,” says Kae.

“Our team is a really good example of why you shouldn't put limitations on who can take part in sport. We have different ages, backgrounds, levels of experience. We have mothers. The majority of us are relatively new to indoor handball, but, ultimately, you still have to put in the work and earn your place. I don't expect to be selected because of my age or my story. I want to be there because I've worked hard enough to contribute to the team. 

“Being older probably gives me a different perspective as a rookie but I know that opportunities like this are a privilege so I don't take any of it for granted,” she adds. “I've worked really hard over the past year to earn my place in the team but I'm also very aware that I still have so much to learn.”

 

The Wellington challenge

At the IHF Nations Trophy, the Cook Islands will open their campaign with a tough clash against the host nation, New Zealand, followed by New Caledonia and then Kiribati in the preliminary group, hoping they get the right results to push through for a chance to win the title and, with it, a place at the 2026 AHF Women’s Asian Championship.

“The group we're in will test us, given that we will play an extra game compared to the other group (Editor’s note: one group is four teams, one group is three teams),” explains Kae. “The majority of our team are indoor first-timers so we will really need to draw on the skills we've been developing and training for since returning from beach handball world championship. 

“I am very excited for this championship, excited to be playing with ladies whom I've made real tight bonds with transitioning from beach to indoor and I am so proud to be representing our little paradise with this team.

“We're a team that is made up of resilient and adaptable women. In my opinion, the draw doesn't matter. All I know is that we will treat each game with the respect it deserves and apply all that we've learnt. We will be focusing on our game and style, playing to our strengths. It is my hope that we place in the top five and with the right mindset, I believe this is achievable.”

Those thoughts are echoed by captain Jennifer Akavi, who played with Kae at Croatia 2026 and is also making her international, indoor debut this week, despite first playing the sport 10 years ago.

“Each team in our preliminary group are just as strong, competitive and focused however after every last whistle no matter what the results are, we are handball sisters at heart,” she says. 

“We will take each team as they come and our plan is to work hard and communicate on executing our attacks and defensive plays to the best of our ability – it is beyond words to express the excitement and pride I have to be representing my country and Oceania.”

If the Cook Islands should win the trophy this week, it would mean a spot at the upcoming 2026 AHF Women’s Asian Championship, but the team does not want to think about that too much just yet.

“To qualify for the Asian championship would be huge. For our team, especially considering how new many of us are to indoor handball, qualifying would show just how far we've come in a relatively short period of time,” says Kae.

“It would mean even more for Handball Cook Islands. We're a very small island nation, our federation is small and we're rebuilding the women's indoor game after such a long absence. To earn the opportunity to compete at the next level would give our players something further to aspire to and, hopefully, encourage more women and young girls back home to give handball a go.

“But first, we have a job to do in Wellington.”

 

Continuing the growth of Oceania women in sport

New Zealand holds a special place for Kae – it was back in February that she made her international debut at any level or handball discipline at the Oceania Beach Handball Championship in Christchurch – who is excited about what the seven-nation tournament could do for women’s sport - and handball – in the region.

“I hope that this revival will encourage other federations in Oceania to work towards taking part in the next championship. This championship is a good representation of the development of handball in the region,” she says. 

“Women in sports in general is growing in Oceania. Whatever the sport there has been a real push to recognise the role women play in sports, not only as administrators but also as athletes and I am proud to be part of this movement to revive women in handball in Oceania.”