About Cook Islands Football Association
The Cook Islands Football Association was founded in 1991 and affiliated with FIFA in 1994, with the vision to promote and develop the sport in the Cook Islands, it became a member of FIFA in June, 1994. CIFA registered 13 full members – 6 Rarotonga Football Clubs (Avatiu Football Club, Matavera-Ngatangiia Football Club, Nikao Sokattak Football Club, Puaikura Football Club, Titikaveka Football Club, Tupapa Maraerenga Football Club), 7 Island associations Aitutaki Football Association, Atiu Football Association, Mangaia Football Association, Mauke Football Association, Mitiaro Football Association, Pukapuka Football Association and Rakahanga Football Association and 3 associate members, Manihiki, Nassau and Penrhyn.
The pride of the national association, is the CIFA headquarters plus two playing pitches, which were funded by FIFA under the GOAL program and was inaugurated in 2004. It also includes a football stand which seats up to 600 people and its administration headquarters and accommodation.
CIFA is challenged by the sheer distance between the islands, scattered over 2million square kilometers of ocean. Its furthest member Pukapuka Football Association was accepted as a full member back in 2003, and is situated in the Northern Cook Islands, closer to Samoa than Rarotonga. Covering an area, the size of Western Europe, to fly there from Rarotonga is about the same time it takes to fly from Rarotonga to New Zealand.
Despite the geographical obstacles, CIFA has successfully run its development programs and regularly holds competitions on a national scale, with the biennial youth championship, one of the more important dates on the calendar. The best youth players are identified through this exercise and are trained at the national football academy, where Cook Islands national teams march into camp before OFC and FIFA qualifying tournaments.
CIFA currently runs a league for its best clubs on the main island, Rarotonga, with a knock out cup organized at the end of the season. To start the year January through to February, football is part of the Cook Islands Beach Games, after it’s completed a Beach Soccer League tournament is then run. In addition to CIFA’s football headquarters and fields in Matavera, CIFA currently have two projects in progress, which are the Mangaia Football Pitch on the island of Mangaia, next to the island’s school, and the TMSA Sports Facility project in Tupapa.
| Men’s League Champions | Men’s FA Cup Winners | ||
| Year | Club | Year | Club |
| 2021 | Nikao Sokattak FC | 2021 | Nikao Sokattak FC |
| 2020 | Tupapa Maraerenga FC | 2020 | Nikao Sokattak FC |
| 2019 | Tupapa Maraerenga FC | 2019 | Tupapa Maraerenga FC |
| 2018 | Tupapa Maraerenga FC | 2018 | Tupapa Maraerenga FC |
| 2017 | Tupapa Maraerenga FC | 2017 | Puaikura FC |
| 2016 | Puaikura FC | 2016 | Puaikura FC |
| 2015 | Tupapa Maraerenga FC | 2015 | Tupapa Maraerenga FC |
| 2014 | Tupapa Maraerenga FC | 2014 | Takuvaine FC |
| 2013 | Puaikura FC | 2013 | Tupapa Maraerenga FC |
| 2012 | Tupapa Maraerenga FC | 2012 | Nikao Sokattak FC |
| 2011 | Tupapa Maraerenga FC | 2011 | Nikao Sokattak FC |
| 2010 | Tupapa Maraerenga FC | 2010 | Nikao Sokattak FC |
| 2009 | Nikao Sokattak FC | 2009 | Tupapa Maraerenga FC |
| 2008 | Nikao Sokattak FC | 2008 | Nikao Sokattak FC |
| 2007 | Tupapa Maraerenga FC | 2007 | Nikao Sokattak FC |
| 2006 | Nikao Sokattak FC | 2006 | Takuvaine FC |
| 2005 | Nikao Sokattak FC | 2005 | Nikao Sokattak FC |
| 2004 | Nikao Sokattak FC | 2004 | Tupapa Maraerenga FC |
| 2003 | Tupapa Maraerenga FC | 2003 | Nikao Sokattak FC |
| 2002 | Tupapa Maraerenga FC | 2002 | Nikao Sokattak FC |
| 2001 | Tupapa Maraerenga FC | 2001 | Tupapa Maraerenga FC |
| 2000 | Nikao Sokattak FC | 2000 | Avatiu FC |
| 1999 | Tupapa Maraerenga FC | 1999 | Avatiu FC |
| 1998 | Tupapa Maraerenga FC | 1998 | Avatiu FC |
| 1997 | Tupapa Maraerenga FC | 1997 | Avatiu FC |
| 1996 | Avatiu FC | 1996 | Avatiu FC |
| 1995 | PTS Coconuts | 1995 | Avatiu FC |
| 1994 | Avatiu FC | 1994 | Avatiu FC |
| 1993 | Avatiu FC | 1993 | Avatiu FC |
| 1992 | Tupapa Maraerenga FC | 1992 | Avatiu FC |
| Women’s League Champions | Women’s FA Cup Winners | ||
| Year | Club | Year | Club |
| 2020 | Puaikura FC | 2020 | Puaikura FC |
| 2019 | Tupapa Maraerenga FC | 2019 | Tupapa Maraerenga FC |
| 2018 | Tupapa Maraerenga FC | 2018 | Titikaveka FC |
| 2017 | Nikao Sokattak FC | 2017 | Tupapa Maraerenga FC |
| 2016 | Tupapa Maraerenga FC | 2016 | Tupapa Maraerenga FC |
| 2015 | TupapaMaraerenga FC | 2015 | Nikao Sokattak FC |
| 2014 | TupapaMaraerenga FC | 2014 | Nikao Sokattak FC |
| 2013 | Nikao Sokattak FC | 2013 | Nikao Sokattak FC |
| 2012 | Puaikura FC | 2012 | TupapaMaraerenga FC |
| 2011 | TupapaMaraerenga FC | 2011 | TupapaMaraerenga FC |
| 2010 | TupapaMaraerenga FC | 2010 | TupapaMaraerenga FC |
| 2009 | Puaikura FC | 2009 | Puaikura FC |
| 2008 | Puaikura FC | 2008 | TupapaMaraerenga FC |
| 2007 | TupapaMaraerenga FC | 2007 | Puaikura FC |
| 2006 | Puaikura FC | 2006 | TupapaMaraerenga FC |
| 2005 | Puaikura FC | 2005 | TupapaMaraerenga FC |
| 2004 | TupapaMaraerenga FC | 2004 | TupapaMaraerenga FC |
| 2003 | TupapaMaraerenga FC | 2003 | TupapaMaraerenga FC |
| 2002 | TupapaMaraerenga FC | 2002 | TupapaMaraerenga FC |
| 2001 | Nikao Sokattak FC | 2001 | Nikao Sokattak FC |
| 2000 | TupapaMaraerenga FC | 2000 | Avatiu FC |
| 1999 | TupapaMaraerenga FC | 1999 | Avatiu FC |