1997 Oceania Cup
{{Infobox rugby league international tournament
| year = 1997
| title = Oceania Cup
| image =
| imagesize =
| alt =
| finalists = 6
| country = New Zealand
| winners_other = {{flagicon|NZ}} New Zealand Residents
| count =
| matches = 12
| attendance =
| points =
| tries =
| topscorer-flag =
| topscorer =
| top try scorer-flag=
| top try scorer =
| tournaments = Pacific Cup
| last = 1996
| next = 1998 Pacific Cup
}}
The 1997 Oceania Cup was an international rugby league football tournament played in the Pacific region. The tournament was operated and contested by Super League-aligned countries during the Super League war as an alternative to the Pacific Cup.
Six teams contested the Cup. The 1997 tournament went ahead following the previous year's cancellation due to the unavailability of Australian teams when the tournament was replaced with a Pacific Challenge Series. Western Samoa withdrew from the tournament in disagreement with Super League-aligned authorities over promises that they believed were given to them.
The tournament was originally scheduled to have two pools, one based in New Zealand and one in Tonga, and the final was to be played as a curtain raiser to the Super League Tri-series final.
Teams
New Zealand Māori were coached by Cameron Bell and included Dean Clark, Tukere Barlow, Frank Watene, Darryl Beazley and Solomon Kiri.
New Zealand Residents were coached by Gary Kemble and included Glenn Coughlan, Blair Harding, Mike Dorreen, Iva Ropati, Shane Endacott, captain Aaron Whittaker, Mark Faumuina, Denvour Johnston, Hitro Okesene, Jerry Seuseu, Bryan Henare, Meti Noovao, Brad Williams, Joe Galuvao, Fa'ausu Afoa, Ben Fahey, Jason Kerapa, Keneti Asiata and Paul Staladi.{{cite book
| last =John Coffey, Bernie Wood
| author-link =
| title = 100 years: Māori rugby league, 1908-2008
| publisher =Huia Publishers
| date = 2008
| location =
| pages = 301
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=nklWo8vw-iIC
| doi =
| id =
| isbn =978-1-86969-331-2}} Richard Stewart replaced Shane Endacott when he withdrew due to injury.New Zealand Rugby League Annual '97, New Zealand Rugby Football League, 1997. p.124 Before the series began the New Zealand Māori bet the New Zealand Residents 21-19 at Ericsson Stadium.
Results
=Group stage=
==Round 1==
{{rugbyleaguebox
| date = 11 May 1997
| time =
| team1 = {{rl-rt|Cook Islands}}
| score = 22 – 14
| report =
| team2 = {{rl|Fiji}}
| points1 =
| points2 =
| stadium = Carlaw Park, Auckland
| attendance =
| referee =
| manofmatch =
}}
{{rugbyleaguebox
| date = 11 May 1997
| time =
| team1 = New Zealand Residents {{flagicon|NZ}}
| score = 21 – 18
| report =
| team2 = {{rl|Papua New Guinea}}
| points1 =
| points2 =
| stadium = Carlaw Park, Auckland
| attendance =
| referee =
| manofmatch =
}}
{{rugbyleaguebox
| date = 11 May 1997
| time =
| team1 = {{rl-rt|New Zealand Māori}}
| score = 46 – 10
| report =
| team2 = {{rl|Tonga}}
| points1 =
| points2 =
| stadium = Carlaw Park, Auckland
| attendance =
| referee =
| manofmatch =
}}
==Round 2==
{{rugbyleaguebox
| date = 13 May 1997
| time =
| team1 = {{rl-rt|New Zealand Māori}}
| score = 32 – 12
| report =
| team2 = {{rl|Fiji}}
| points1 =
| points2 =
| stadium = Carlaw Park, Auckland
| attendance =
| referee =
| manofmatch =
}}
{{rugbyleaguebox
| date = 13 May 1997
| time =
| team1 = New Zealand Residents {{flagicon|NZ}}
| score = 32 – 10
| report =
| team2 = {{rl|Tonga}}
| points1 =
| points2 =
| stadium = Carlaw Park, Auckland
| attendance =
| referee =
| manofmatch =
}}
{{rugbyleaguebox
| date = 13 May 1997
| time =
| team1 = {{rl-rt|Papua New Guinea}}
| score = 34 – 12
| report =
| team2 = {{rl|Cook Islands}}
| points1 =
| points2 =
| stadium = Carlaw Park, Auckland
| attendance =
| referee =
| manofmatch =
}}
==Round 3==
{{rugbyleaguebox
| date = 15 May 1997
| time =
| team1 = New Zealand Residents {{flagicon|NZ}}
| score = 46 – 2
| report =
| team2 = {{rl|Cook Islands}}
| points1 =
| points2 =
| stadium = Carlaw Park, Auckland
| attendance =
| referee =
| manofmatch =
}}
{{rugbyleaguebox
| date = 15 May 1997
| time =
| team1 = {{rl-rt|Tonga}}
| score = 14 – 14
| report =
| team2 = {{rl|Fiji}}
| points1 =
| points2 =
| stadium = Carlaw Park, Auckland
| attendance =
| referee =
| manofmatch =
}}
{{rugbyleaguebox
| date = 15 May 1997
| time =
| team1 = {{rl-rt|New Zealand Māori}}
| score = 34 – 6
| report =
| team2 = {{rl|Papua New Guinea}}
| points1 =
| points2 =
| stadium = Carlaw Park, Auckland
| attendance =
| referee =
| manofmatch =
}}
==Table==
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" | ||||||||
| width=20 abbr="Position" |
!width=175 |Team !width=20 abbr="Played" |Pld !width=20 abbr="Won" |W !width=20 abbr="Drawn" |D !width=20 abbr="Lost" |L !width=20 abbr="Points for" |PF !width=20 abbr="Points against" |PA !width=20 abbr="Points difference" |PD !width=20 abbr="Points" |Pts | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| style="background: #ccffcc;"
|1 | style="text-align:left;"|{{rl|New Zealand Māori}}
|3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 112 | 28 | 84 | 6 |
| style="background: #ccffcc;"
|2 | style="text-align:left;"|{{flagicon|NZ}} New Zealand Residents
|3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 99 | 30 | 69 | 6 |
| 3 | style="text-align:left;"|{{rl|Papua New Guinea}}
|3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 58 | 67| | ||
| 9 | 2 | |||||||
| 4 | style="text-align:left;"|{{rl|Cook Islands}}
|3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 36 | 94| | ||
| 58 | 2 | |||||||
| 5 | style="text-align:left;"|{{rl|Fiji}}
|3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 40 | 68| | ||
| 28 | 1 | |||||||
| 6 | style="text-align:left;"|{{rl|Tonga}}
|3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 34 | 92| | ||
| 58 | 1 |
=Knock-out stage=
==5th place play-off==
{{rugbyleaguebox
| date = 18 May 1997
| time =
| team1 = {{rl-rt|Fiji}}
| score = 22 – 20
| report =
| team2 = {{rl|Tonga}}
| points1 =
| points2 =
| stadium = Carlaw Park, Auckland
| attendance =
| referee =
| manofmatch =
}}
==3rd place play-off==
{{rugbyleaguebox
| date = 18 May 1997
| time =
| team1 = {{rl-rt|Papua New Guinea}}
| score = 38 – 14
| report =
| team2 = {{rl|Cook Islands}}
| points1 =
| points2 =
| stadium = Carlaw Park, Auckland
| attendance =
| referee =
| manofmatch =
}}
==Final==
{{rugbyleaguebox
| date = 18 May 1997
| time =
| team1 = New Zealand Residents {{flagicon|NZ}}
| score = 20 – 15
| report =
| team2 = {{rl|New Zealand Māori}}
| points1 = Tries: Paul Staladi (2)
Darryn Avery
Fa'asu Afoa
Goals: Glenn Coughlan (2)
| points2 = Tries: Ricky Henry
Shane Edwards
Goals: Tama Hohaia (3, 1 FG)
| stadium = Carlaw Park, Auckland
| attendance =
| referee = Jim Stokes
| manofmatch =
}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Rugby League in Oceania}}
{{1997 in rugby league}}
Category:International rugby league competitions hosted by New Zealand