Newton-Whare’s Cook Islands breakthrough adds to Knights’ family legacy

New Zealand Kiwis duo Jamayne Isaako, an Aranui Eagles product, and debuting Halswell Hornets junior Tanner Stowers-Smith are certain to receive a rapturous homecoming welcome in Sunday’s Rugby League World Cup fixture at One New Zealand Stadium in Ōtautahi Christchurch.

But there will also be a sizeable contingent in the crowd preparing to bring the house down when the Cook Islands sideline staff start shuffling the interchange cards.

Riccarton Knights junior K-Ci Newton-Whare ticked off a major career milestone last Sunday when he earned his international spurs in the Kukis’ 40-12 loss to Fiji. The 22-year-old Melbourne Storm prop made a strong impression in 37 minutes off the bench in Newcastle, racking up five runs for 52 metres, producing a line-break and making 19 tackles.  

Newton-Whare’s second Test appearance this weekend is set to be equally special, however, taking the field in his home city in front of friends and family – including his dad, former Knights premiership winner Vince Whare.

“It’s a pretty cool occasion for the Whare whānau. Being the guy he is, [Vince is] pretty humble, but he’ll be really proud of K-Ci for what he’s been able to achieve with his footy,” says Riccarton Knights president and club legend Shane Tamatea, who played alongside Vince and coached K-Ci.

Coincidentally, Vince represented New Zealand Māori against the Cook Islands in 2004.

K-Ci, meanwhile, has been carving out his rugby league path in Australia for the past six years after last representing Canterbury 16s – a team that also featured Stowers-Smith, along with the likes of Makaia Tafua and Felix Faatili – in 2020.  

Newton-Whare spent two years with Burleigh Bears before being snapped up by the Storm, making his SG Ball debut in 2023 but quickly progressing to Jersey Flegg level.

The industrious prop played 57 games in the under-21s grade, made his NSW Cup debut in 2025 and added a further 22 appearances in the second-tier competition this year, scoring five tries.

“He was always that type of player,” Tamatea says of a young Newton-Whare.

“You knew that he was going to come through the grades and be somebody if that’s what he wanted to be. He was always a standout player – he pretty much carried his team through the grades.

“He definitely stood out within the team he was in. He was always a humble, sort of shy kid but did the damage out on the field. In those days, he was a centre – then he goes to Australia, he’s a prop. So a full turnaround to be the same position as his old man, which is pretty cool.

“I’ve heard that he’s turned up to a couple of the [Riccarton premier] games, he was down at the semifinals last year when he was over here.”

Newton-Whare joins 16-Test Kiwi Lewis Brown, a teammate of Whare’s and Tamatea’s in Riccarton’s 2004 grand final triumph, as a Knights product to attain senior international recognition.

“Riccarton, for us as a club, it’s an extremely proud moment when any of our players, our young junior Knights, go on and represent at the highest level,” Tamatea enthuses.

“For a long time there, you always had to play for one of the top two or three clubs to even get recognised. Little old Riccarton, we’ve had a couple come through now, which we’re extremely proud of. It’s a real special moment for Riccarton and our club as a whole.

“The Knights community is pretty small, but we’re really tight and we’d love to see all our young ones come through and put the best foot forward.”

Tamatea emphasised that the RLWC encounter in Christchurch is an immensely proud moment for Canterbury Rugby League as a whole, with three clubs represented by players who played virtually all of their junior football here – not to mention Kodi Nikorima, who turned out for Burnham Chevaliers as a youngster.

“I think it just shows you there is a lot of talent coming out of Christchurch – it’s scattered around throughout the NRL. A lot of people wouldn’t know who’s come from here, but to see three of them playing there on the big stage on the weekend is a good advertisement for the talent that’s coming through.

“There’s plenty of good young players coming through the pathways at some of the clubs now. So it’s a massive statement, three guys [from Canterbury] playing in a Test match.”