2019 Oceania Cup (rugby league)

The 2019 Oceania Cup was the inaugural edition of the Oceania Cup. Contested by six teams, the competition began in June and concluded in November.

The competition was announced at the Rugby League International Federation (RLIF) congress in November 2018. The draw was released in March and breaks the six teams into two separate pools with promotion and relegation to exist in what is to become an annual tournament. Group A will comprise the top three ranked Pacific nations in , and while Group B will comprise , and .

The winner of Pool A will win the Oceania Cup while the winner of Pool B will win the Oceania Shield and be promoted to Pool A in the next edition in place of Australia, who were due to travel to Europe for their first Kangaroos tour since 2003.

Venues The games were played at the following venues in New Zealand and Australia.

Auckland Auckland Wollongong Eden Park Mt Smart Stadium WIN Stadium Capacity: 50,000 Capacity: 30,000 Capacity: 23,000 Sydney Christchurch Leichhardt Oval Rugby League Park Capacity: 20,000 Capacity: 18,000

Results Group A - Cup

TeamPldWDLPFPA+/−Pts21013820+18221013840−2221013046−162

Notes: Jahrome Hughes, Briton Nikora (both New Zealand), Manase Fainu, Kotoni Staggs, and Sitili Tupouniua (all Tonga) made their Test debuts, while John Asiata made his debut for Tonga having previously represented Samoa.

Team details FB 1James TedescoWG 2Josh Addo-CarrCE 3Latrell MitchellCE 4Jack WightonWG 5Nick CotricFE 6Cameron MunsterHB 7Daly Cherry-EvansPR 8Josh PapaliiHK 9Damien CookPR 10David KlemmerSR 11Boyd Cordner (c)SR 12Tyson FrizellLK 13Jake TrbojevicInterchange:BE 14Ben HuntBE 15Payne HaasBE 16Paul VaughanBE 17Wade GrahamCoach: Mal Meninga FB 1Roger Tuivasa-SheckWG 2Ken MaumaloCE 3Charnze Nicoll-KlokstadCE 4Joseph ManuWG 5Jamayne IsaakoFE 6Shaun JohnsonHB 7Benji Marshall (c)PR 8Leeson Ah MauHK 9Brandon SmithPR 10Jared Waerea-HargreavesSR 11Briton NikoraSR 12Kenny BromwichLK 13Adam BlairInterchange:BE 14Jahrome HughesBE 15Zane TetevanoBE 16Braden Hamlin-UeleBE 17Corey Harawira-NaeraCoach: Michael Maguire Man of the Match: Damien Cook (Australia)

Touch judges: Nick Beashel (Australia) Dave Munro (Australia) Video referees: Ben Galea (Australia) Jared Maxwell (Australia) Notes: Josh Addo-Carr, Nick Cotric, Payne Haas, Jack Wighton (all Australia), Braden Hamlin-Uele, and Corey Harawira-Naera (both New Zealand) made their Test debuts, while Paul Vaughan made his debut for Australia having previously represented Italy, and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad and Zane Tetevano made their debut for New Zealand both having previously represented the Cook Islands.

Team details FB 1William HopoateWG 2David Fusitu'aCE 3Michael JenningsCE 4Konrad HurrellWG 5Daniel TupouFE 6Tuimoala LoloheaHB 21Kotoni StaggsPR 15Addin Fonua-BlakeHK 9Siliva HaviliPR 10Sio Siua Taukeiaho (c)SR 11Ben Murdoch-MasilaSR 12Manu Ma'uLK 13Jason Taumalolo (c)Interchange:BE 8Andrew FifitaBE 14Sione KatoaBE 19Tevita Pangai JuniorBE 20Joe OfahengaueCoach: Kristian Woolf FB 1James TedescoWG 2Josh Addo-CarrCE 3Latrell MitchellCE 4Jack WightonWG 5Nick CotricFE 6Cameron MunsterHB 7Daly Cherry-EvansPR 8Josh PapaliiHK 9Damien CookPR 10David KlemmerSR 11Boyd Cordner (c)SR 12Tyson FrizellLK 13Jake TrbojevicInterchange:BE 14Cameron MurrayBE 15Payne HaasBE 16Paul VaughanBE 17Wade GrahamCoach: Mal Meninga Touch judges: Nick Beashel (Australia) Dave Munro (Australia) Video referee: Jared Maxwell (Australia) Notes: Cameron Murray (Australia) made his Test debut.

Group B - Shield

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Team details FB 1Edene GebbieWG 2Junior RauCE 3Bernard LewisCE 4Xavier CoatesWG 5Terry WapiFE 6Edwin IpapeHB 7Kyle LaybuttPR 8Enock MakiHK 9James Segeyaro (c)PR 10Luke PageSR 11Rhyse MartinSR 12Nixon PuttLK 13Moses MeningaInterchange:BE 14Kurt BaptisteBE 15Rhadley BrawaBE 16Zev JohnBE 17Stanton AlbertCoach: Michael Marum FB 1Jamayne IsaakoWG 2Jorge TaufuaCE 3Hymel HuntCE 4Marion SeveWG 5David NofoalumaFE 6Chanel Harris-TavitaHB 7Anthony Milford (c)PR 8Junior PauloHK 9Jarome LuaiPR 17Josh AloiaiSR 11Raymond Faitala-MarinerSR 12Jaydn Su'ALK 13Martin TaupauInterchange:BE 10James GavetBE 14Mason LinoBE 15Michael Chee-KamBE 16Herman Ese'eseCoach: Matt Parish Touch judges: Nick Morel (Australia) David Munro (Australia) Video referees: Henry Perenara (New Zealand) Bryan Norrie (Australia) Notes: Xavier Coates, Edene Gebbie, Edwin Ipape, Zev John, Kyle Laybutt, Bernard Lewis, Terry Wapi (all Papua New Guinea), Chanel Harris-Tavita, Hymel Hunt, Marion Seve, and Jaydn Su'A (all Samoa) made their Test debuts, while Jamayne Isaako made his debut for Samoa having previously represented New Zealand.

Team details FB 1Ronaldo MulitaloWG 2Jorge TaufuaCE 3Tim LafaiCE 4Joseph Leilua (c)WG 5Brian To'oFE 6Marion SeveHB 7Jarome LuaiPR 8Junior PauloHK 9Danny LeviPR 10Martin TaupauSR 11Tino Fa'asuamaleauiSR 12Michael Chee-KamLK 14Dunamis LuiInterchange:BE 13Bunty AfoaBE 15Moses LeotaBE 16Luciano LeiluaBE 17James GavetCoach: Matt Parish FB 1Sitiveni MoceidrekeWG 2Isaac LumelumeCE 3Taane MilneCE 4Brayden WiliameWG 5Suliasi VunivaluFE 6Kevin Naiqama (c)HB 7Brandon WakehamPR 8Kane EvansHK 9Joe LovoduaPR 10Tui KamikamicaSR 11Viliame KikauSR 12Ben NakubuwaiLK 13D'Rhys MillerInterchange:BE 14Lamar LiolevaveBE 15Joseph RatuvakacereivaluBE 18King VuniyayawaBE 19Penioni TagituimuaCoach: Brandon Costin Touch judges: Paki Parkinson (New Zealand) Stephane Vincent (France) Video referee: Jared Maxwell (Australia) Notes: Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, Luciano Leilua, Moses Leota, Ronaldo Mulitalo, Brian To'o (all Samoa), Lamar Liolevave, and Joseph Ratuvakacereivalu (both Fiji) made their Test debuts, while Danny Levi made his debut for Samoa having previously represented New Zealand.

Team details FB 1Sitiveni MoceidrekeWG 2Maika SivoCE 3Taane MilneCE 4Brayden WiliameWG 5Suliasi VunivaluFE 6Kevin Naiqama (c)HB 7Brandon WakehamPR 8Kane EvansHK 9Joe LovoduaPR 10Tui KamikamicaSR 11Viliame KikauSR 12Ben NakubuwaiLK 13D'Rhys MillerInterchange:BE 14Lamar LiolevaveBE 15Joseph RatuvakacereivaluBE 18King VuniyayawaBE 19Penioni TagituimuaCoach: Brandon Costin FB 1Alex JohnstonWG 2Edene GebbieCE 3Daniel RussellCE 4Justin OlamWG 5Terry WapiFE 6Kyle LaybuttHB 7Watson BoasPR 8Wellington AlbertHK 9Wartovo PuaraPR 10Luke PageSR 11Nixon PuttSR 12Rhyse Martin (c)LK 13Moses MeningaInterchange:BE 14Edwin IpapeBE 15Stanton AlbertBE 16Enock MakiBE 17Stargroth AmeanCoach: Michael Marum Touch judges: Chris Butler (Australia) Paki Parkinson (New Zealand) Video referee: Shayne Hayne (Australia) Notes: Daniel Russell (Papua New Guinea) made his Test debut, while Alex Johnston made his debut for Papua New Guinea having previously represented Australia.

See also International rugby league in 2019

References