Former International Rugby League player Tony Iro is currently in Niue for the first time. He currently works with the New Zealand Warriors in their Pathways and Development Program focused on spreading the sport in Niue.
Iro has been conducting development programs with students at both the Niue Primary and Niue High School that also included a Coaches conference on Tuesday night.
“It’s been a full week of development opportunities for the players here, so on Saturday we had 18 of Niue’s best and finest young men so we ran a development camp through the day.”
Iro says the enthusiasm from the kids has been great to see with so much energy and seeing them just having fun donning their NZ Warriors gear.
“Rugby League is growing in our Pacific cultures and nations, the Warriors has a relationship now with Niue, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji and Cook Islands. It’s a growing game and a game that suits us.” Iro says.
The Cook Islands Native hopes there will be more interest from the young generation in the Pacific as there are opportunities and a pathway down the track in Rugby League in the long term.
He returns to New Zealand tomorrow.