Fiji A to test local talent at Pacific netball challenge

Crest-sponsored Fiji A will use the inaugural PacificAus Sports Netball Challenge to test the country's domestic talent against five Pacific nations.

Fiji's emerging netball players will get an opportunity to test themselves against regional competition when Fiji A represents the country at the inaugural PacificAus Sports Netball Challenge in Brisbane, Australia, from November 23 to 28.

The tournament, to be held at Nissan Arena, will feature five Pacific nations: Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga and the Cook Islands.

The competition is designed to showcase and develop Pacific-based players, providing Fiji's locally based athletes with international exposure and an opportunity to demonstrate their readiness for higher-level netball.

Netball Fiji Transition Oversight Committee chairperson Vasiti Vugakoto said selecting players from domestic competitions provided an important pathway for athletes to progress towards national team programmes.

She said the PacificAus Sports series would also allow coaches to assess emerging talent and identify players for future regional and international competitions.

The competition will also provide an opportunity to evaluate the depth of Fiji's domestic netball talent and the effectiveness of development programmes for players, coaches and technical officials.

Fiji A will open its campaign against Papua New Guinea in the first round.

For the Fiji side, the Brisbane campaign will provide valuable international match experience, an opportunity to strengthen team combinations and a chance to demonstrate the standard of players coming through Fiji's domestic netball system.

The PacificAus Sports Netball Challenge is organised by Netball Australia in partnership with the Australian Government through the PacificAus Sports programme.

The initiative aims to strengthen sporting relationships across the Pacific while creating development opportunities for athletes, coaches, umpires and technical officials.

Fixtures

November 23

• Samoa v Cook Islands

November 24

• Fiji v Papua New Guinea

November 25

• Tonga v Cook Islands
• Samoa v Fiji

November 26

• No fixture supplied

November 27

• Tonga v Fiji
• Samoa v Papua New Guinea
• Tonga v Samoa
• Papua New Guinea v Cook Islands

November 28

• Papua New Guinea v Tonga
• Cook Islands v Fiji
• Finals