Niue have their sights on becoming part of the Pacific Test rugby league programme after another milestone victory.
The Rock overwhelmed 2013 World Cup representatives Cook Islands 44-22 in Sydney in a one-off clash to claim their biggest ever international scalp.
The Cook Islands are preparing to face Tonga later this month in a winner-takes-all qualifier for the next World Cup and Niue coach Brendan Perenara says the shows Niue is on the rise.
And he's already lobbying the Rugby League International Federation for more matches.
"It's a stepping stone to where we want to achieve to get to and hopefully we are opening doors for the future for Niue Rugby League to get there in the rankings. I asked them to put our card on the table to try and put us on a roster in the Pacific Nation round: There's Papua New Guinea vs Fiji and Tonga vs Samoa, so why not chuck in Niue vs Cook Islands".
The Niue squad featured five debutants and Brendan Perenara says the result opens the door for more new players to become a part of the team.
Niue rugby league team. Photo: Niue Rugby League
