For 100 students at Vunidawa District School, this week brought an opportunity to be among the first in Fiji to experience a new approach to community netball.
In partnership with the Australian Government through Team Up, Netball Australia is working alongside Netball Fiji to introduce the Pass It On program to communities across the country.
Pass It On is a grassroots netball program harnessing the power of netball to address gender inequalities, support inclusive participation, and encourage positive social outcomes for children and adolescents.
Co-designed with Pacific Netball Federations, the program has already been delivered in Papua New Guinea, Samoa, and Tonga, using engaging netball activities to help young people develop life skills and leadership.
Ten of Netball Fiji’s coaches joined Netball Australia representatives in Suva this week to explore how the program can be adapted for existing community netball programs and introduced to new clubs. The coaches then put their learnings into practice at Vunidawa District School, delivering the program to students.
The launch of the Pass It On program builds on the existing strong relationship between Netball Australia and Netball Fiji, which has supported high-performance netball in the country since 2021.
The expansion into community netball will create more opportunities for young people to participate in the sport and support its growth across Fiji.
Chair of Netball Fiji Transition Oversight Committee Vasiti Vugakoto welcomed the program’s introduction to netball communities across Fiji.
“The program will make a meaningful contribution to youth development and community engagement, while providing an excellent opportunity for emerging coaches to develop their skills,” she said.
“We are confident the program will provide valuable opportunities for our coaches to learn, grow, and share their knowledge, creating a positive and lasting impact on the sport at the grassroots and community levels.”
Netball Australia Executive General Manager of Netball Megan Simpson is looking forward to seeing the Pass It On program reach more young people.
“We are excited to see the program expand into Fiji, where netball already has such a strong presence and provides a valuable platform to engage children and young people,” she said.
“Netball brings together diverse groups of people while developing important life skills and leadership abilities, particularly among young girls.
“By expanding our partnership with Netball Fiji into community netball, we can build on the strong foundations already established through high-performance and create more opportunities for young people to participate in netball.”
Australian High Commission Fiji Second Secretary Angus Coverdale said the Pass It On program reflects Australia's ongoing commitment to using sport as a platform for positive social change across Fiji and the Pacific.
“Australia is proud to support programs that help children and young people build confidence, leadership skills and meaningful connections through sport,” he said.
“Through Team Up, we work with partners across the Pacific to create more opportunities for people to participate in sport and to strengthen the communities they're part of. We are pleased to support the expansion of Pass It On in Fiji and look forward to seeing the positive impact it has for young people, families and netball communities across the country.”
Following this workshop, Netball Fiji’s coaches will begin delivering Pass It On as a pilot program, with opportunities for coaches and participants to provide feedback as the program is trialled and adapted to local contexts.
Team Up is the Australian Government’s sport for development program in the Asia-Pacific. With more than 70 partners across seven Pacific Island countries, our programs are specifically designed to provide all people, regardless of gender or ability, the opportunity to realise their full potential through sport.
