New Zealand-born Titans Keano Kini and Georgia Hale are ecstatic for the opportunity to play on the Gold Coast at the upcoming Rugby League World Cup in 2026.
Revealed in the schedule announcement on Sunday, Cbus Super Stadium will host a triple-header on Saturday, October 31 with New Zealand v Fiji in the men's division, as well as New Zealand v Papua New Guinea and Fiji v France in two women's battles.
The Super Saturday will break an 18-year World Cup drought for the Gold Coast, who last hosted two games at Robina during the 2008 tournament, which happened to also feature both the Kiwis and Bati across the respective fixtures.
The two nations now get to create more history in the all-important fixture, especially for New Zealand who boast a strong ex-pat community on the Gold Coast alongside a hustling tourism demand from across the Tasman Sea.
Kini hungry as ever to be part of the occasion at the backend of next year.
"Born and raised in New Zealand, I’m a proud Kiwi but the Gold Coast has been my home for the last five years," he told titans.com.au.
"I love it here, so the chance to wear the black and white jersey and play in a World Cup in this city would be special.
"My full focus is back on the Titans now, but I’ll definitely have October 31 circled in my calendar and it’s given me even more motivation for next season."
Kiwi Ferns skipper Georgia Hale shares a similar feeling for the upcoming opportunity, having been an integral part of the Titans NRLW side since 2021.
"Getting to play on the Gold Coast is the perfect combination for me with the chance to represent my country on my club's home ground," she said.
"When I'm here on the Gold Coast, I feel like I'm at home... half of us living here are from New Zealand, so I'm excited to see the crowd we can get to Cbus to support our Kiwi Ferns and Kiwis in an exciting triple header."
