2017 Rugby League World Cup

Danny Howard, who plays for Sydney club Wentworthville in the NSW Cup, scored three of his side's eight tries in Jacksonville.

It confirmed the Hawks' place at the tournament in Australia and New Zealand following their success at the 2013 World Cup in which they were surprise quarter-finalists before going down 62-0 to the Kangaroos.

Howard and brother Stephen were born in Los Angeles before their family moved back to Canberra when they were young.

The Kukis haven't played a match since the 2013 World Cup, having been overlooked for the first three years of the Pacific Test programme.

They face Tonga later this month in a winner-takes-all qualifier for the 2017 Rugby League World Cup.

This Saturday's match-up against Niue is a chance to test players and combinations but coach Alex Chan says it's just nice to finally put a Cook Islands team back on the park.