The prize for the longest journey to this weekend's Olympic Games repechage goes to the women of the Cook Islands, the volcanic archipelago in the south Pacific which lies 15,810km from Dublin.
The islanders have another long trip in mind too, one that will take them across the world’s largest ocean and ends in the Deodoro Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
Hoping to take them there to compete in the women's rugby sevens event is the new management team of coach Crystal Kaua, her assistant and husband Brent Kaua, manager Pandy Fruean and physio Tanya Browne.
“The pool is tough − as they all are,” admits Crystal Kaua, in discussing Pool D, where they will face Hong Kong, Argentina and Kazakhstan.
“I was lucky enough to have coached the NZ Barbarian team early this year and we played 10 games against Hong Kong, but Anna (Richards) is a quality coach so they would have moved their game on since then.
“Based on rankings, they should be the hardest in the pool, but sevens is sevens. We just need to do everything we can to play to our maximum potential and the result will be the result.”
STEADY IMPROVEMENT
Crystal and Brent only took over in April from Matt Atiga. Since coming into the Oceania Women's Sevens Championship in 2012 the Cook Islands have risen quickly in the four tournaments they have competed in, finishing seventh, sixth twice, and third.
“Matt played a big role in that success,” acknowledges Crystal. “He travelled throughout New Zealand and Australia to identify CI talent, he was the driving force behind the vast improvement, he pulled together a very naturally talented group.”
"Vaine brings a wealth of knowledge and leadership to the team, she is hardworking, is a great strike player and sets a high standard of expectation"
Perhaps the greatest talent is the new captain Vaine Greig, who was a member of the New Zealand side that won Women’s Rugby World Cup Sevens 2013 in Moscow but has been blighted by injury since.
“Vaine brings a wealth of knowledge and leadership to the team, she is hard-working, is a great strike player and sets a high standard of expectation,” explains Crystal.
Her sister Wairakau (main picture), an Aircraftswoman with the Royal New Zealand Air Force, is also in the squad.
“Our vice-captain Larissa Marino-Anderson has set the standard off the field in terms of conditioning and training, her ability to encourage the girls to push their own boundaries by continuously pushing herself is something special,” says Crystal.
“We very much play a team game and everyone has a role to play, often the ones that stand out do so because our hard workers are doing their job exceptionally well.”
KIWI INFLUENCE
The Cook Islands squad is mainly New Zealand-based, with Teiti Tupana, the baby of the squad, the only player still resident on the islands while Anneka Stephens lives in Australia.
Eighteen-year-old Rarotonga-native Tupana has been a sports star since the age of 11 when she won a dozen athletics and other medals at the Manea Games in her home archipelago. The biennial Games bring together cricket, track and volleyball with traditional sports such as stilt-walking and pei tupe, which involves throwing wooden discs at a target.
“I first started rugby when I joined the under-18 national team that played in Samoa last October when we came fourth,” Tupana explains.
“Now we have another chance of earning a spot to Rio this month and I can say that we are prepared to face the upcoming challenge.
“I was born and raised here on Rarotonga. I moved to New Zealand for studies and have been there for seven months now.”
Coach Crystalis excited at the prospect of watching the youngster develop over the coming years: “She is really naturally talented and a good laugh.”
EXCITING COMBINATION
The Cook Islands coaching team know they are in for a battle, having such a short lead in to the repechage.
“We have only come together twice as a squad since we took over the reins in late April, which is both a budgetary and location thing,” she explained.
“We were happy with the training and games we had; the girls are smart and learn quickly. Their long-term potential is massive, they are good, hard-working girls with natural ability who see space − an exciting combination.”
The local fans are expected to take to the Kukis, as many have fond memories of the Rarotonga-born prop Stan Wright, who spent five years with Leinster – winning two Heineken Cups – and earned the affectionate nickname of ‘Cookie Monster’. Wright is now coach of the men's 15s team gearing up for the Rugby World Cup 2019 qualifiers next year.