Valentine Holmes Eyes Cook Islands Return for 2025 World Cup
valentine holmes is still chasing a Cook Islands debut, with the 30-year-old saying he hopes to make the Rugby League World Cup at the end of the year after injuries kept him out of earlier international chances. A season-ending shoulder injury in 2025 stopped him from lining up in a World Cup qualifier against South Africa, and his latest push now runs through the final months of the year.
“Yeah, it is pretty exciting,” Holmes said. “It's definitely something that I've been thinking about (in) the last couple of years. But unfortunately, the two years I've been injured, at the end of 24, broke my leg, and then last year with my shoulder.”
Holmes and the Cook Islands
He has not stepped away from the campaign while waiting for a playing chance. Holmes joined the Cook Islands side in a coaching role after the shoulder injury, keeping him inside the setup even as his body kept him off the field.
Holmes said the jersey means a great deal to his family, especially his mum, and that he has discussed the move with relatives over the past couple of years. “It's something I've spoken to my family, my mum about, especially, and all her family,” he said. “She's one of 12. So she has a lot of brothers and sisters that just want to see me in that jersey. So yeah, fingers crossed, I get there.”
World Cup draw with Australia
He has also already looked at the draw. Holmes said he believes the Cook Islands are grouped with Australia, New Zealand and Fiji, and described those opponents as a draw worth targeting if he gets cleared to play at the end of the year. “I've seen the draw already, and I think we're in the draw with Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji. So what better teams to play against?” he said.
The Cook Islands have been trying to build a stronger presence in international rugby league by pulling in more NRL players, and Holmes is one of the biggest names in that effort. In March, Sharks centre KL Iro said he and Holmes would make a recruitment drive to get other NRL stars to commit to the Cook Islands.
KL Iro's recruitment push
Iro said Holmes had already pledged his allegiance to the Cook Islands and suggested the pair would keep messaging players to convince them to join. “I've been always messaging boys that can come play, and they'll probably think I'm a bit of a pest, but I've been just contacting them and just saying, ‘actually, it's the year,' like, ‘hey, you guys want to come back'” he said. “I was last year trying to get some boys over, and it's good we got Valentine Holmes, he's pledged his allegiance as well.”
He added that Holmes lives in Cronulla and could help push the next wave of signings. “So hopefully he can bring a couple more boys. He lives in Cronulla, too, so we'll catch up and start recruiting and messaging boys and pestering them,” Iro said. For the Cook Islands, Holmes staying in the frame through the rest of the year keeps a proven name attached to a team trying to widen its player base before the tournament begins.
