Pearls miss out on Sydney World Cup next year
Tonga and Samoa qualify from the Oceania region
Friday 18 September 2026 | 07:00
Fiji Pearls have missed out on next year's Netball World Cup in Sydney, Australia.
Photo: Netball Australia
The Fiji Pearls have failed to qualify for next year’s Netball World Cup in Sydney after suffering their second straight loss in Tonga yesterday.
It will be only the second time Fiji has missed the pinnacle of the sport since 1987.
Fiji made its debut at the 1975 World Championship but missed the 1979 and 1983 editions before returning in 1987. Since then, the only absence was the 1995 event in Birmingham, England.
The Pearls went down 60-72 to hosts Tonga Tala yesterday. They had earlier lost 50-56 to Samoa on Wednesday.
Their campaign started with a narrow 65-63 win over the Cook Islands.
Fiji sits third with two points, while Samoa and Tonga have three wins each to secure the top two spots from Oceania.
Samoa strengthened its position with a 72-50 win over the Cook Islands last night. The team had earlier beaten Papua New Guinea 72-56 on Monday.
Tonga meets Samoa today in its final match, while Fiji faces Papua New Guinea.
Fiji has featured at ten World Cups. Its best result was sixth place in 1999 in Christchurch, New Zealand.
The Pearls finished 11th at the 2023 World Cup in Cape Town, South Africa.
Results
Day One: Samoa 72-56 Papua New Guinea (PNG); Tonga 81-55 Cook Islands.
Day Two: Cook Islands 63-65 Fiji; Tonga 71-47 PNG.
Day Three: Samoa 56-50 Fiji; PNG 54-64 Cook Islands.
Day Four: Tonga 72-60 Fiji; Samoa 78-23 Cook Islands.
Today’s fixtures
3pm (Fiji time): Fiji v PNG
5.15pm: Tonga v Samoa
