Pearls To Take On Silver Ferns In Warm-up Match
“As a coach and to watch these players struggle every day in training, I’m forever grateful that even the amount of stress we put them through they turn up the next day.
Friday 14 July 2023 | 15:30
Members of the Fijian Pearls team after the presentation of their court shoes at the SportsWorld outlet in Suva on July 13, 2023. From left: Anaseini Nauqe, Elina Drikibau, Unaisi Rauluni, Maliana Rusivakula, Vakaoca Bolakoro, Kelera Nawai, SportsWorld general manager Vinod Kumar, Josephine Tabua, Kalesi Tawake, Ana Moi, Jimaima Kete, Maria Rusivakula and Lydia Panapasa. Photo: Sereana Salalo
The Fijian Pearls will take on the world’s number two side, New Zealand, in one of its three warm-up matches before the Netball World Cup.
The training matches will take place a week prior to the World Cup which is from July 28 to August 6 in Cape Town, South Africa.
The Pearls will play against Jamaica in its first warm-up match.
Head coach Unaisi Rokoura said playing against the best teams including the Silver Ferns before their opener against Tonga Tala would help the side.
“It will give a good opportunity for these girls to get out in a different environment against top teams in the world,” she said.
“The Silver Ferns have also reached out and we’re having a training match with them and the last training match will be against Scotland.”
The 12-member squad and officials will leave next Thursday and Rokoura indicated that they look forward to it.
“You can start to feel the excitement and the nerves as well, seeing these players putting all out these last few days, it’s amazing to watch them in training,” she said.
“We looking forward to this World Cup and go to Cape Town and do the job we are supposed to do.
“As a coach and to watch these players struggle every day in training, I’m forever grateful that even the amount of stress we put them through they turn up the next day.
“With all theses struggles they have grown as a player as well.”
The squad has a mixture of seasoned and young players including veteran mid-court and shooter Maria Rusivakula, Vakaoca Bolakoro, Kelera Nawai and Unaisi Rauluni.
Kalesi Tawake, Elina Drikibau, Ana Moi, Anaseini Nauqe and Jimaima Kete are players who are going to their first World Cup.
The 19th ranked Pearls are bottom seed in Pool A with Australia, Tonga and Zimbabwe.
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Story by: sereana.salalo@fijisun.com.fj
