Twin Tiro, Temana Pennycook and Anthony Samuela have been selected by the Cook Islands Football Association (CIFA) to receive scholarships to attend Mt Albert Grammar school in Auckland, New Zealand.
The three recipients were part of the national team that competed at the OFC U-17 Championship in Auckland last month and their scholarship selections are part of CIFA’s ongoing development of its elite players.
The trio left for New Zealand on Saturday and will link up with previous scholarship recipient Terii Framhein, who is now in his second year at Mt Albert Grammar and will be on hand to support and guide the newcomers through their first year at the school.
Each of the three recipients admit to feeling a few nerves but are excited to be taking on a new challenge.
Mitiaro local Anthony Samuela arrived in Rarotonga with his father last week to join up with Tiro and Pennycook and was briefed on what to expect from the scholarship.
“I am excited to be selected and look forward to a great year,” he says.
CIFA President Lee Harmon says the programme started eight years ago and has proved very successful – 90 per cent of the scholarship recipients have gone on to play for the senior national team.
Many of those players have returned to Cook Islands and passed on what they have learned and experienced to their local clubs and CIFA.
For more on Cook Islands football go to www.cookislandsfootball.com