Charnze
Nicoll-Klokstad
Taking up an opportunity with the Canberra Raiders late in the 2019 pre-season kick-started Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad’s remarkable rise to New Zealand Test honours, while he starred in one of the Kiwis' greatest-ever wins after returning to the Warriors four years later.
Boasting Cook Islands, Māori and Norwegian heritage, the Auckland-born utility-back played junior football for City Newton Dragons, Mount Albert, Waitemata and Richmond, before moving to Melbourne with his family as a 15-year-old. He played for local club Altona Roosters before being picked up by Melbourne Storm, turning out for their SG Ball and NYC sides.
Nicoll-Klokstad made his international debut for Cook Islands against Tonga in 2015. He returned home to join the Warriors at the end of the year and won the club’s InTrust Super Premiership Player of the Year award in 2016, as well as being named as a centre in the ISP Team of the Year.
The 21-year-old received a belated NRL call-up in 2017, scoring seven tries in seven top-grade appearances on the wing for the Warriors. But with internationals Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, David Fusitu’a, Ken Maumalo, Solomone Kata, Peta Hiku and Gerard Beale ahead of him in the pecking order, Nicoll-Klokstad was restricted to ISP duty in 2018.
The Warriors granted the versatile tyro a release to join Canberra in February 2019 – and a little over a month later he was lining up at fullback in a rejigged Raiders backline in Round 1. Nicoll-Klokstad was hailed as arguably the NRL’s buy of the season. He played all but one game, finished equal-10th in the Dally M Medal count, scored 11 tries and averaged 175 metres per games as the Green Machine stormed to their first grand final in 25 years.
Nicoll-Klokstad was outstanding against Sydney Roosters in the grand final before leaving the field injured in the latter stages, but he tempered the disappointment of the Raiders’ 14-8 loss by earning selection in New Zealand’s World Cup Nines and Test squads.
After featuring in the Kiwis’ drive to the World Cup Nines final, the 24-year-old was named to debut at centre for the Test against Australia in Wollongong. He was New Zealand’s sole try-scorer and made 112 running metres in 26-4 loss.
Nicoll-Klokstad was a strong performer in the 2-0 series win over Great Britain on home soil, racking up a shade under 100 metres in both matches and a try-assist for Ken Maumalo’s match-sealer in the second Test in Christchurch.
Canberra upgraded and extended Nicoll-Klokstad’s contract with the club until the end of 2023, while he scored seven tries in 21 games as a vital cog in the injury-hit Raiders’ run to another preliminary final appearance in 2020.
Nicoll-Klokstad played in the Māori All Stars’ 10-all draw with the Indigenous All Stars in the 2021 pre-season but a neck injury five rounds into the NRL campaign consigned Nicoll-Klokstad to the sidelines for four months and significantly hampered the Raiders’ finals hopes. But he valiantly returned to the field earlier than expected to feature in the club’s last three matches. The veteran of 62 NRL games was named in the Kiwis’ wider World Cup squad at the end of the year.
With injuries and stiff competition for backline spots both key factors, CNK was restricted to 12 top-grade appearances in his last season in Canberra ahead of a return to the Warriors in 2023. But the 27-year-old's reliability and utility value secured him a berth in the Kiwis' World Cup squad at the end of 2022. He capped a personally trying year by appearing in four matches at the tournament, scoring a try from fullback against Jamaica and lining up at centre in the pool win over Lebanon, the quarter-final escape against Fiji and the narrow semi-final defeat to Australia.
Nicoll-Klokstad's renaissance at the Warriors was one of the standout storylines of the club's amazing surge to a top-four finish and a preliminary final appearance. In 23 appearances he scored seven tries, notched eight try assists, made 98 tackle-breaks and averaged 188 metres, as well as being an invaluable last-liner for the rejuvenated side. With several players unavailable due to injuries and personal reasons, CNK was the only Warrior named in the Kiwis' Pacific Championships squad.
Returning to his favoured custodian role at Test level, Nicoll-Klokstad wrote himself into Kiwis folklore after suffering broken ribs in the 50-0 win over Samoa - a match in which he ran for 167 metres and laid on a try. After a quiet game in the loss to Australia in Melbourne, he produced a man-of-the-match performance in the 30-0 thrashing of the Kangaroos in the Hamilton final, defying his injury with a game-high 277 running metres and a try assist.
Nicoll-Klokstad's 2024 campaign was interrupted by injury but he was one of the flagging Warriors' best in 17 appearances (a tally that took him past 100 games in the NRL), whether at fullback, five-eighth or centre. Established as a senior member of the Kiwis set-up, his selection for the Pacific Championships was a fait accompli.
A surprise selection in the No.6 jersey, Nicoll-Klokstad had relatively quiet outings in the losses to Australia and Tonga, but he starred in the win over Papua New Guinea with a try and two try assists.
He played 22 matches in the Warriors' 2025 season that saw them make the top-eight, before being beaten by Penrith in the elimination final. Nicoll-Klokstad returned to the Kiwis fold for their Pacific Cup-winning campaign, playing fullback in game one against Toa Samoa and moving to the centres for the remaining two Tests. Across the three matches, he amassed two tries, 11 tackle breaks, and 372 run metres.
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Charnze
Nicoll-Klokstad
Taking up an opportunity with the Canberra Raiders late in the 2019 pre-season kick-started Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad’s remarkable rise to New Zealand Test honours, while he starred in one of the Kiwis' greatest-ever wins after returning to the Warriors four years later.
Boasting Cook Islands, Māori and Norwegian heritage, the Auckland-born utility-back played junior football for City Newton Dragons, Mount Albert, Waitemata and Richmond, before moving to Melbourne with his family as a 15-year-old. He played for local club Altona Roosters before being picked up by Melbourne Storm, turning out for their SG Ball and NYC sides.
Nicoll-Klokstad made his international debut for Cook Islands against Tonga in 2015. He returned home to join the Warriors at the end of the year and won the club’s InTrust Super Premiership Player of the Year award in 2016, as well as being named as a centre in the ISP Team of the Year.
The 21-year-old received a belated NRL call-up in 2017, scoring seven tries in seven top-grade appearances on the wing for the Warriors. But with internationals Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, David Fusitu’a, Ken Maumalo, Solomone Kata, Peta Hiku and Gerard Beale ahead of him in the pecking order, Nicoll-Klokstad was restricted to ISP duty in 2018.
The Warriors granted the versatile tyro a release to join Canberra in February 2019 – and a little over a month later he was lining up at fullback in a rejigged Raiders backline in Round 1. Nicoll-Klokstad was hailed as arguably the NRL’s buy of the season. He played all but one game, finished equal-10th in the Dally M Medal count, scored 11 tries and averaged 175 metres per games as the Green Machine stormed to their first grand final in 25 years.
Nicoll-Klokstad was outstanding against Sydney Roosters in the grand final before leaving the field injured in the latter stages, but he tempered the disappointment of the Raiders’ 14-8 loss by earning selection in New Zealand’s World Cup Nines and Test squads.
After featuring in the Kiwis’ drive to the World Cup Nines final, the 24-year-old was named to debut at centre for the Test against Australia in Wollongong. He was New Zealand’s sole try-scorer and made 112 running metres in 26-4 loss.
Nicoll-Klokstad was a strong performer in the 2-0 series win over Great Britain on home soil, racking up a shade under 100 metres in both matches and a try-assist for Ken Maumalo’s match-sealer in the second Test in Christchurch.
Canberra upgraded and extended Nicoll-Klokstad’s contract with the club until the end of 2023, while he scored seven tries in 21 games as a vital cog in the injury-hit Raiders’ run to another preliminary final appearance in 2020.
Nicoll-Klokstad played in the Māori All Stars’ 10-all draw with the Indigenous All Stars in the 2021 pre-season but a neck injury five rounds into the NRL campaign consigned Nicoll-Klokstad to the sidelines for four months and significantly hampered the Raiders’ finals hopes. But he valiantly returned to the field earlier than expected to feature in the club’s last three matches. The veteran of 62 NRL games was named in the Kiwis’ wider World Cup squad at the end of the year.
With injuries and stiff competition for backline spots both key factors, CNK was restricted to 12 top-grade appearances in his last season in Canberra ahead of a return to the Warriors in 2023. But the 27-year-old's reliability and utility value secured him a berth in the Kiwis' World Cup squad at the end of 2022. He capped a personally trying year by appearing in four matches at the tournament, scoring a try from fullback against Jamaica and lining up at centre in the pool win over Lebanon, the quarter-final escape against Fiji and the narrow semi-final defeat to Australia.
Nicoll-Klokstad's renaissance at the Warriors was one of the standout storylines of the club's amazing surge to a top-four finish and a preliminary final appearance. In 23 appearances he scored seven tries, notched eight try assists, made 98 tackle-breaks and averaged 188 metres, as well as being an invaluable last-liner for the rejuvenated side. With several players unavailable due to injuries and personal reasons, CNK was the only Warrior named in the Kiwis' Pacific Championships squad.
Returning to his favoured custodian role at Test level, Nicoll-Klokstad wrote himself into Kiwis folklore after suffering broken ribs in the 50-0 win over Samoa - a match in which he ran for 167 metres and laid on a try. After a quiet game in the loss to Australia in Melbourne, he produced a man-of-the-match performance in the 30-0 thrashing of the Kangaroos in the Hamilton final, defying his injury with a game-high 277 running metres and a try assist.
Nicoll-Klokstad's 2024 campaign was interrupted by injury but he was one of the flagging Warriors' best in 17 appearances (a tally that took him past 100 games in the NRL), whether at fullback, five-eighth or centre. Established as a senior member of the Kiwis set-up, his selection for the Pacific Championships was a fait accompli.
A surprise selection in the No.6 jersey, Nicoll-Klokstad had relatively quiet outings in the losses to Australia and Tonga, but he starred in the win over Papua New Guinea with a try and two try assists.
He played 22 matches in the Warriors' 2025 season that saw them make the top-eight, before being beaten by Penrith in the elimination final. Nicoll-Klokstad returned to the Kiwis fold for their Pacific Cup-winning campaign, playing fullback in game one against Toa Samoa and moving to the centres for the remaining two Tests. Across the three matches, he amassed two tries, 11 tackle breaks, and 372 run metres.
PROFILE
Height M
182
WEIGHT KG
94
DOB
Aug 2, 1995
HIGHLIGHTS
Test matches
16
Test points
20
NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS (2017, 2023-present)
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Most Competitive World Cup Ever: Kangaroos and Kiwis Set for Explosive RLWC 2026 Opener
Kangaroos stars Isaah Yeo and Nathan Cleary have predicted the 2026 World Cup will be the most competitive ever as the Ashes winners prepare to face Pacific Cup champions New Zealand in the opening match.
Yeo’s Australian team completed a 3-0 series clean sweep of England in the first Ashes series since 2003, while the Kiwis triumphed in the Pacific Championships against Toa Samoa and Tonga to ensure a mouthwatering start to the World Cup.
And with the Kiwis forced to overcome a 14-6 half-time deficit to defeat Samoa in the final and Tonga's narrow 20-14 loss to the Kangaroos in the 2024 Pacific Cup decider, there are at least five nations capable of winning the World Cup.
“It’s certainly going to be the strongest World Cup there’s ever been, and that’s great for international rugby league,” Yeo said.
The Kangaroos and Kiwis have been drawn in Pool A, along with Fiji and the Cook Islands, who claimed the last RLWC26 berth by beating South Africa in a qualifying match on November 9 at CommBank Stadium.
New Zealand star Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad said the Kiwis were looking forward to testing themselves against Australia in the opening match at Allianz Stadium on October 15 after a successful Pacific Championships campaign.
“That is a massive game and it is definitely one we will have circled in the calendar," Nicoll-Klokstad said.
"It is a game that you all want to be a part of so it will be cool to kick off such a prestigious competition like the World Cup with a big game against Australia."
England, Samoa and Lebanon are in Pool B and will play the teams in Pool C – Tonga, Papua New Guinea and France – rather than those in their own pool, and vice-versa.
The top two teams in Pool A and the top two teams in a combined Pool B and Pool C will qualify for the semi-finals, with play-off positions to be determined by:
- for-and-against if two teams from the same pool finish on the same competition points;
- the head-to-head result between a team in Pool B and a team in Pool C if they finish on the same competition points.
Tonga, who are in Pool C, will start their World Cup campaign against England in Perth on Saturday, October 17 and finish with an eagerly awaited clash with Samoa at CommBank Stadium on Sunday, November 3.
A win in either of those matches could ensure Tonga a semi-final berth on head-to-head over the team they beat.
Samoa and Tonga drew a crowd of more than 44,000 for October’s Pacific Cup match at Suncorp Stadium, while nearly 40,000 fans turned out for Tonga’s match against New Zealand at Eden Park.
Despite being in England with the Kangaroos, Cleary said he had followed the Pacific Championships closely and was impressed by the Kiwis, as well as Samoa and Tonga.
“The international game is in the best place it’s ever been, and that’s only going to grow and get better so it’s an exciting time for international rugby league with the World Cup coming up,” Cleary said.
“I’ve got a lot of good mates who were playing in the Pacific Championships, so I was keeping a keen eye on them. All three teams are stacked so it’s exciting to watch as a fan.
“It’s super close and it’s such a great thing with the international game at the moment. England’s team is the best it’s been in a long time. They’ve got a lot of talent, then you’ve got Australia and the Pacific teams have great lineups so it’s exciting to watch.”
Nicoll-Klokstad said many of the New Zealand players were still hurting from their 16-14 loss to Australia at Elland Road in the semi-final of the last World Cup in 2022.
The Kiwis bounced back to inflict a record 30-0 defeat of the Kangaroos in the final of the 2023 Pacific Cup and after being stunned by Tonga in 2024 they will head into the World Cup buoyed by a successful Pacific Championships.
“We have got to feel confident, we have got a lot of young boys coming through and a lot of old heads now," Nicoll-Klokstad said.
"It feels like yesterday that the last World Cup happened so there are going to be a lot of us who want to make that right by beating Australia.
“The first game is very important, there are other teams that are doing their nations proud and really flying up through the ranks by beating big teams in big games, so it is really important that we get our preparations right for the World Cup and make sure we come up with a win."
See the Kiwis and Kiwi Ferns draws for the 2026 Rugby League World Cup here.
‘Amazing for Christchurch’: Kiwis and Kiwi Ferns Embrace World Cup Homecoming
Kiwis and Kiwi Ferns players have welcomed the opportunity to play a double-header at Christchurch’s new indoor stadium during next year’s IRL Rugby League World Cup 2026.
The Kiwis will begin their World Cup campaign in a blockbuster tournament opener against Australia at Allianz Stadium on October 15, while the Kiwi Ferns meet Fiji Bulikula at Newcastle’s McDonald Jones Stadium on October 18.
Both New Zealand teams will then travel home to play their Round 2 matches at One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch, which is due to open in April.
The Kiwis will host the Cook Islands, while the Kiwi Ferns take on France, in the 30,000 roofed stadium – a new experience for many of the players.
“That will be amazing to play a game in Christchurch, let alone in a World Cup,” star fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad said. “There will be a lot of excitement and a real buzz in the air in Christchurch.
“Everyone down there loves their rugby league so for us to play a World Cup game in Christchurch will be amazing. It is going to packed out with black-and-white fans, and everyone is going to get behind us.”
Recent matches in Christchurch involving the Kiwis or Warriors, including the 2024 Test double-header against Australia, have attracted capacity crowds at the 17,000 seat Apollo Projects Stadium.
Kiwis second-rower Isaiah Papali’i said that playing a pool match in Christchurch would be a boost for New Zealand’s World Cup campaign.
“Playing a game at home, in our country, is what every Kiwi looks forward to and I love playing down there,” Papali’i said.
“It is going to be in the new stadium, so I am looking forward to that. I have never played in an indoor stadium so it will be something different but just being at home is a big advantage, so I am looking forward to that game.”
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Both New Zealand teams will also feature in a Round 3 double-header at Cbus Stadium on the Gold Coast, with the Kiwis to meet Fiji Bati and the Kiwi Ferns playing the PNG Orchids.
Kiwi Ferns forward Alexis Tauaneai said she was excited about the chance to play against France in Christchurch, as well as the Bulikula and Orchids, ahead of the semi-finals and final.
"To play in the World Cup is on my bucket list," Tauaneai said. "I am looking forward to seeing all of the other countries, as well, to see how they go on the world stage.
"I reckon it will be very exciting and a different type of footy, especially with the way they play compared to how we play.
Prop Angelina Teakaraanga-Katoa said the World Cup was an opportunity to showcase the development of women's rugby league and the talent and skill within the Kiwis Ferns squad.
"I think the game has already gone leaps and bounds and for us Kiwi Ferns we just want to put on a good product and show what we can do as a footy team," Teakaraanga-Katoa said.
"I know the girls have been building over the last couple of World Cup campaigns to win one so if we could do that it would be awesome."
See the Kiwis and Kiwi Ferns draws for the 2026 Rugby League World Cup here.
Kiwis claim Pacific Cup glory in Foran’s farewell
The New Zealand Kiwis have crowned their Pacific Championships campaign with a 36–14 victory over Toa Samoa at CommBank Stadium, delivering the perfect send-off for veteran playmaker Kieran Foran in his final Test match.
Trailing 14–6 at halftime, the Kiwis stormed home with 30 unanswered points in a dominant second half. Foran was instrumental in the comeback, combining brilliantly with Dylan Brown, who produced a standout performance featuring three try assists, 10 tackle breaks and 181 running metres.
Isaiah Papali’i crossed for two tries, while Casey McLean, Erin Clark, and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad also found the line. Clark’s powerful run early in the second half shifted momentum, before Papali’i’s second try in the 76th minute sealed the result.
Fullback Keano Kini continued his breakout tournament with 125 metres, six tackle breaks and four offloads, while Naufahu Whyte made a huge impact off the bench with 194 metres and seven tackle breaks.
The win secures New Zealand’s second Pacific Cup title in three seasons and confirms their status as a leading contender ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Head coach Stacey Jones praised his side’s resilience and composure under pressure, noting the leadership of Foran and the team’s ability to respond after a tough first half.
It was a night of pride and celebration for New Zealand Rugby League, closing out the Pacific Championships with silverware and a fitting farewell for one of the Kiwis’ most respected players.
Biography
Last updated:
December 11, 2025
Taking up an opportunity with the Canberra Raiders late in the 2019 pre-season kick-started Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad’s remarkable rise to New Zealand Test honours, while he starred in one of the Kiwis' greatest-ever wins after returning to the Warriors four years later.
Boasting Cook Islands, Māori and Norwegian heritage, the Auckland-born utility-back played junior football for City Newton Dragons, Mount Albert, Waitemata and Richmond, before moving to Melbourne with his family as a 15-year-old. He played for local club Altona Roosters before being picked up by Melbourne Storm, turning out for their SG Ball and NYC sides.
Nicoll-Klokstad made his international debut for Cook Islands against Tonga in 2015. He returned home to join the Warriors at the end of the year and won the club’s InTrust Super Premiership Player of the Year award in 2016, as well as being named as a centre in the ISP Team of the Year.
The 21-year-old received a belated NRL call-up in 2017, scoring seven tries in seven top-grade appearances on the wing for the Warriors. But with internationals Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, David Fusitu’a, Ken Maumalo, Solomone Kata, Peta Hiku and Gerard Beale ahead of him in the pecking order, Nicoll-Klokstad was restricted to ISP duty in 2018.
The Warriors granted the versatile tyro a release to join Canberra in February 2019 – and a little over a month later he was lining up at fullback in a rejigged Raiders backline in Round 1. Nicoll-Klokstad was hailed as arguably the NRL’s buy of the season. He played all but one game, finished equal-10th in the Dally M Medal count, scored 11 tries and averaged 175 metres per games as the Green Machine stormed to their first grand final in 25 years.
Nicoll-Klokstad was outstanding against Sydney Roosters in the grand final before leaving the field injured in the latter stages, but he tempered the disappointment of the Raiders’ 14-8 loss by earning selection in New Zealand’s World Cup Nines and Test squads.
After featuring in the Kiwis’ drive to the World Cup Nines final, the 24-year-old was named to debut at centre for the Test against Australia in Wollongong. He was New Zealand’s sole try-scorer and made 112 running metres in 26-4 loss.
Nicoll-Klokstad was a strong performer in the 2-0 series win over Great Britain on home soil, racking up a shade under 100 metres in both matches and a try-assist for Ken Maumalo’s match-sealer in the second Test in Christchurch.
Canberra upgraded and extended Nicoll-Klokstad’s contract with the club until the end of 2023, while he scored seven tries in 21 games as a vital cog in the injury-hit Raiders’ run to another preliminary final appearance in 2020.
Nicoll-Klokstad played in the Māori All Stars’ 10-all draw with the Indigenous All Stars in the 2021 pre-season but a neck injury five rounds into the NRL campaign consigned Nicoll-Klokstad to the sidelines for four months and significantly hampered the Raiders’ finals hopes. But he valiantly returned to the field earlier than expected to feature in the club’s last three matches. The veteran of 62 NRL games was named in the Kiwis’ wider World Cup squad at the end of the year.
With injuries and stiff competition for backline spots both key factors, CNK was restricted to 12 top-grade appearances in his last season in Canberra ahead of a return to the Warriors in 2023. But the 27-year-old's reliability and utility value secured him a berth in the Kiwis' World Cup squad at the end of 2022. He capped a personally trying year by appearing in four matches at the tournament, scoring a try from fullback against Jamaica and lining up at centre in the pool win over Lebanon, the quarter-final escape against Fiji and the narrow semi-final defeat to Australia.
Nicoll-Klokstad's renaissance at the Warriors was one of the standout storylines of the club's amazing surge to a top-four finish and a preliminary final appearance. In 23 appearances he scored seven tries, notched eight try assists, made 98 tackle-breaks and averaged 188 metres, as well as being an invaluable last-liner for the rejuvenated side. With several players unavailable due to injuries and personal reasons, CNK was the only Warrior named in the Kiwis' Pacific Championships squad.
Returning to his favoured custodian role at Test level, Nicoll-Klokstad wrote himself into Kiwis folklore after suffering broken ribs in the 50-0 win over Samoa - a match in which he ran for 167 metres and laid on a try. After a quiet game in the loss to Australia in Melbourne, he produced a man-of-the-match performance in the 30-0 thrashing of the Kangaroos in the Hamilton final, defying his injury with a game-high 277 running metres and a try assist.
Nicoll-Klokstad's 2024 campaign was interrupted by injury but he was one of the flagging Warriors' best in 17 appearances (a tally that took him past 100 games in the NRL), whether at fullback, five-eighth or centre. Established as a senior member of the Kiwis set-up, his selection for the Pacific Championships was a fait accompli.
A surprise selection in the No.6 jersey, Nicoll-Klokstad had relatively quiet outings in the losses to Australia and Tonga, but he starred in the win over Papua New Guinea with a try and two try assists.
He played 22 matches in the Warriors' 2025 season that saw them make the top-eight, before being beaten by Penrith in the elimination final. Nicoll-Klokstad returned to the Kiwis fold for their Pacific Cup-winning campaign, playing fullback in game one against Toa Samoa and moving to the centres for the remaining two Tests. Across the three matches, he amassed two tries, 11 tackle breaks, and 372 run metres.
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