Tremaine Rimene-Albrett

Tremaine Rimene-Albrett (born 3 September 2002) is a Cook Islands international footballer. He is part of the Cook Islands national team.

Club career As a youth, Rimene-Albrett was successful in several sports before eventually deciding to focus primarily on football. He joined Douglas Villa AFC, then known as Douglas Villa Magpies, at age 14. The team went undefeated in the local league in 2019 and earned promotion to the Capital League Four, the seventh tier of the New Zealand football league system. That season, he captained the side and scored in the promotion play-off against Otaki Purutaitama.

In the team's first match in their new league the following season, the player scored two goals, including a long-range shot from 50m, en route to a win over Western Suburbs. The win continued a streak of thirty-eight consecutive victories dating back to April 2018. The club won again on the following matchday with Rimene-Albrett opening the scoring in a 2–1 victory over Island Bay United. During the 2021 season, the club earned another promotion, this time to the Capital League Two starting in 2022, with Rimene-Albrett as a prominent member of the club.

In March 2022 it was announced that Rimene-Albert would join Wainuiomata AFC of the Capital Premier. He participated in league matches with the club, including a 3–1 victory over Wellington United in Round Two and a 1–0 victory over Upper Hutt City FC later in April 2022. Later in the 2022 season, he moved to Miramar Rangers of the Central League. He made one league appearance for the club's first team that season, in additional to playing for the reserve side. His lone league appearance came on 25 May 2022 as a substitute in a draw with Napier City Rovers.

By 2023, Rimene-Albrett had returned to Douglas Villa in the Capital League Two. He scored a hat-trick in a 7–1 victory over Island Bay United in April 2023. The win was the club's first in the league that season. Five days later, the striker scored his second hattrick in as many matches as the club defeated Stokes Valley FC 10–2. After scoring two goals in the final eight minutes of a 2–2 draw with Wellington Marist in late May, Douglas Villa manager Mark Taylor said of him, "Rimene-Albrett was a threat; he was causing them problems throughout, and when he came alive, he was really effective." On 5 August 2023, the player scored another two goals against Stokes Valley FC to secure second place in the league and earn promotion to the Capital League One the next season. In total, Rimene-Albrett scored fifteen league goals in 2023, the third-highest in the league. Following the campaign, he was given the Goal of the Season award at the annual Capital Football awards ceremony for his long-range bicycle kick into the top right corner in a 4–2 win over Stokes Valley to secure promotion.

International career As a 21-year-old, Rimene-Albrett was called up to the Cook Islands national team for the 2023 Pacific Games. He would have the opportunity to make his debut in the team's group stage matches against Tonga and New Caledonia.

International goals Scores and results list the Cook Islands' goal tally first. No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1. 21 November 2023 SIFF Academy Field, Honiara, Solomon Islands 2–1 2–1 2023 Pacific GamesLast updated 21 November 2023

International career statistics

Waka ama Rimene-Albrett also participates in waka ama. At age 15, he was selected to represent New Zealand at the 2018 Va'a World Sprint Club Championships, the sport's biggest event, held in Tahiti in July 2018.

Personal life Rimene-Albrett attended Makoura College in his hometown of Masterton. He is the son of rugby union player Patrick Harding-Rimene, all-time top scorer for Wairarapa Bush. He is of Cook Islander descent through his maternal grandmother who was born on Rarotonga.