Kristiana Manu’a on representing Samoa

By Elizabeth Winter

Kristiana Manu’a, a stalwart of Australian netball, is gearing up to represent Samoa at the PacificAus Sports Netball Series. With an impressive career as a strong and tenacious defender in both the Suncorp Super Netball League and ANZ Premiership, Manu’a has also represented both Australia and New Zealand internationally.  

While she currently plays for the Melbourne Mavericks, this week Manu’a will wear a different shade of blue, proudly competing for the Samoa Tifa Moana at the PacificAus Sports Netball Series.

Born in New Zealand, Manu’a has family connections to Matatufu and Lotofaga Safata in Samoa. In 2023, Manu’a debuted for the Samoa Tifa Moana at the Pacific Games in the Solomon Islands, where the team secured a bronze medal.

The Games were a cherished experience for Manu’a, but she hasn’t had the chance to represent Samoa again until this week, where the athlete looks forward to honouring her Samoan heritage once again.

“My parents are flying over to Queensland to come watch and so is my partner. Representing Samoa in front of my family, it means a lot. It’s kind of like my way of giving back to them and all the stuff that they've kind of sacrificed throughout my netball career, which is a long one,” Manu’a said.

“I hope it shows my appreciation for them, my culture and heritage. All those years of wearing this name ‘Manu’a’ on my back, now I can give back to the family that's given me so much during my career.”

The Samoa Tifa Moana are being led by new head coach Natalie Mathews, alongside several new athletes who previously haven’t been available to compete in the series.

“For us, it's going to be a good challenge. We’re under new coaching staff and we'll have a whole new game plan,” Manu’a shared.

“There's going to be no expectations, except for the ones that we set for ourselves. It’s going to be exciting for us to build a culture and set some standards.”

The Tifa Moana will come together five days prior to the actual competition, using that time to strengthen team cohesion. With some solid competition in the series, it’s going to be a week full of tough games for all participating teams.

Manu’a jokes how on the court, Pacific teams are rivals, but off the court, they are all supportive of one another and their growth, encompassing the tournament’s theme of ‘One Court – One Family’.

She recalls messing around with fellow teammate and Mavericks Training Partner Uneeq Palavi, who will be competing on opposing team the Tonga Tala.

“I’ve been in Palavi’s ear telling her that I can't wait for this series to come,” Manu’a joked affectionately.

The PacificAus Sports Netball Series is a unique tournament showcasing the skills and athleticism of netballers from the Pacific, Australia, and beyond.

Manu’a and the Tifa Moana are prepared for an intense competition this year, going up against the Australian First Nations Black Swans, Fiji Pearls, PNG Pepes, Tonga Tala, and Scottish Thistles.

“The Pacific teams are full of incredible athletes. It’s not going to be easy for us. I watched last tournament, and the Black Swans did so well, plus you have the addition of Scotland. So, it will be a tough one, but it's an exciting challenge,” she shared.

“It’s going to be great netball and hopefully we can showcase our talents and do the Pacific Islands proud.”

The series brings together a range of different netball nations to a stage in which athletes can represent their culture and communities with pride. Manu’a highlights the importance of opportunities like this for emerging athletes who might otherwise be overlooked.

“You see so many Pacific Islanders and First Nations girls when you're growing up playing representative netball and slowly these girls start to fade away, I don't know the reasoning behind it,” she expressed.

“But, to actually give us that platform like this to compete against each other and show there’s a lot of girls with so much skill and talent, hopefully that encourages them to continue on to the next stage and even further.”

For Manu’a, her role representing Samoa is meaningful in ways on and off the court, being both a role model and support for young netballers.

“With this competition and being among other Pacific Islanders, I hope to continue being a role model for the girls. You know, I'm doing some coaching work, which is exciting, and I’m looking for different ways to help the Pacific Islander girls continue playing netball,” she said.

Looking forward, Manu’a hopes to continue representing various aspects of netball, from SSN to opportunities with Samoa.

“I hope I just keep playing for however long my body withstands, and my passion and love for the game continues on. I think it's so easy to get to my age and know you're nearing the end,” she shared.

“I'm still loving it. I'm still competing, and I love going into training every day, so I think I’ll just do that as long as I can.”

Keen to see any of the thrilling PacificAus Sports Netball Series action? Watch all the matches on NetballPass.com.

The PacificAus Sports Netball Series is proudly supported by the Australian Government through the PacificAus Sports Program. PacificAus Sports is an Australian Government sports diplomacy initiative developing pathways for Pacific teams and athletes to compete in elite competitions and access high performance coaching in Australia and internationally.