KL Iro and Valentine Holmes are on a recruitment mission to convince other NRL stars with Cook Islands heritage to join them in the Aitu squad for RLWC2026.

Iro helped Cook Islands qualify for the World Cup by beating South Africa at CommBank Stadium in November, while Holmes has pledged his allegiance to the Pacific nation after 21 Tests for Australia.

Broncos secondrower Brendan Piakura, Warriors forward Marata Niukore and Storm prop Davvy Moale played in the World Cup play-off and Iro said he and Holmes were now trying to recruit other stars.

"I've been always messaging boys that can come play, and they'll probably think I'm a bit of a pest, but I've been just contacting them and just saying, ‘actually, it's the year,' like, ‘hey, you guys want to come back'," Iro said.

"I was last year trying to get some boys over, and it's good we got Valentine Holmes. He's pledged his allegiance as well, so hopefully he can bring a couple more boys.

"He lives in Cronulla, too, so we'll catch up and start recruiting and messaging boys and pestering them. I'm really excited, and hopefully we can get a strong team coming into some big games."

Photo: Val Holmes is set to play for Cook Islands at RLWC2026 and wants other big names to join him. @CIRL

Holmes, who was unable to play against South Africa due to a shoulder injury sustained while playing for the Dragons, wants to honour his Cook Islands-born mother Lucy and joined the team in camp ahead of the World Cup qualifier.

Iro, who went to high school in New Zealand, is passionate about the game in his birth nation and the Sharks centre has rejected approaches to play for the Kiwis.

"It means a lot to me. Since a kid, I always wanted to play for the Cook Islands. I don't see myself in any other jersey, to be honest," Iro told Zero Tackle.

"When I get the chance to represent them, I always will. It's massive for my family, and I always dreamed of playing for the Cook Islands.

Meanwhile, Iro has outlined plans to use the upcoming World Cup to establish development pathways for more Cook Islands youngsters to chase their NRL debut.

There has been a long tradition of players of Cook Islands heritage but Iro is among a small group of NRL players to have grown up in the tiny Pacific Island nation.

"Everyone loves rugby league but it's about the opportunities," Iro told NRL.com. "Kids get stuck there. The kids I grew up with, all the talented ones, they just never left the country and never got their chance.

"We've got to start building pathways and let the parents know they need to move the kids away at younger ages and make that sacrifice for them to fulfil their dreams.

"It's slowly changing but I'm hoping we can get more junior pathways. When they watch us Cook Islands boys playing in the World Cup, that gives them hope and they have a dream to be there as well."

Iro will represent his Cook Islands heritage when he takes to the field for Multicultural Round in Cronulla's clash with the Dolphins.

Photo: KL Iro wants to grow the game in the Cook Islands. @Sharks Media

The centre played a key role in the country's successful bid to qualify for the World Cup and is set to line up alongside the likes of Valentine Holmes and Davvy Moale for the tournament.

Qualification has already had a positive effect, with the team attracting new sponsors and hoping to reinvest that money into the grassroots.

Talent and passion for the game are not in short supply in the Cook Islands, with NRL Immortal Andrew Johns attending the local competition's grand final in 2024.

The Knights legend was stunned by the quality and the fervent support for the game and expressed his desire for a Witzer Pre-Season Challenge game to be played there in the future.

While he grew up in the Arorangi, Iro moved to New Zealand as a teenager for family reasons and was provided with the chance to chase his rugby league dream.

It's a dream, he recognises, he likely would not have made reality if not for the decision to move away from his homeland.

"There was no way I would be here if I didn't move," Iro said. "I wanted to move earlier. I wanted to move when I was 12 and it would have been better if I came straight to Australia.

"New Zealand didn't have the junior development back then, they didn't have Harold Matthews, they just had under 20s and [NSW] Cup, so even I struggled with my development.

"I had a later start and I'm still developing my game now. That sweet age is around 10-12 when you need to move to develop and get better because there's not much competition at home. There's freakish players but they don't get the chance to progress."

Iro has worked hard to provide more opportunities back home since breaking into the Sharks NRL side and regularly returns to the Cook Islands to visit his friends and family.

A trip home over Christmas carried additional meaning, when the 26-year-old proposed to his partner.

While he enjoys returning home, Iro is also desperate to help youngsters travel to Australia to receive a taste of the NRL. The centre and his mother helped facilitate a visit by his junior club, the Arorangi Bears, to Cronulla last year, with the under 13 boys side playing Kurnell in a match before attending a Sharks game.

Plans are already advanced for two more tours this year, with a women's team set to travel to Australia before a men's team flies to Christchurch for the Cook Island's World Cup clash with the Kiwis at the city's state of the art new stadium.

"My mum was huge with that, she ran all the fundraising to make it happen," Iro said. "Instead of a kids team, they want to bring a women's team over to play a local women's team here.

"Then at the World Cup we have a game in Christchurch so they're fundraising to get a men's team there so they can play a men's A-grade team in Christchurch.

"They're trying to give everyone different opportunities and get them out of their local lifestyles. My mum's been huge helping with that stuff, fundraising and getting it moving."

Rugby League World Cup 2026 returns to Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea. Where nations clash, heroes rise, and legends are forged. 3 World Cups. 26 Teams. The World’s Best. Tickets are now on sale from $19. Don’t miss the pinnacle of global Rugby League.