Football season kick off next month
The 2012 Rarotonga Football season is scheduled to kick off next month after the Cook Islands Football Association’s Executive and club delegates agreed at a meeting last week that the 2012 Rarotonga Football season will feature seven clubs competing in the tournament from August through to mid December.
An exhilarating feature of this year’s season is the winner of the Lotto premier men’s round cup competition will qualify for the Oceania O-League Club Preliminary tournament in 2013.
This tournament was discontinued by Oceania Football for five years and was revived again early this year with Tupapa Maraerenga premier men’s side representing the Cook Islands and won the first stage of the preliminary competition defeating Samoa and American Samoa’s champion clubs, drew against Tonga’s club champs and losing in the play off stage against New Caledonia’s Monte Dore by three goals to one.
All Under 17 men’s games will be played on Wednesdays at the CIFA complex and Matavera field. There are no changes to last year’s divisions, i.e. Premier Men, Senior Women, Under 17 Men, Under 14 Boys and Under 14 Girls.
Tupapa Maraerenga will be keen to show last season’s champion placing was all hard work while Nikao Sokattak are looking to re-establish themselves as strong contenders after their 2011 knock-out title win.
Takuvaine is looking to remain in the running for a podium place during the round cup competition and if other clubs intend to be in contention, preparations should take place now.
The Tupapa Maraerenga women’s champions side will seek to retain the CIP’s Image & Copy Centre round cup while the ever slick Arorangi outfit will no doubt try to outgun the current champs in 2012. - CIFA Media

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