Delivered in partnership with the Australian Government through PacificAus Sports , the Ocean of Power tour in Samoa was designed to provide international exposure for Australian Pathway athletes, support Netball Samoa’s preparations ahead of key international events and strengthen netball in Samoa.
Before competition began, both teams were welcomed through a traditional ‘Ava ceremony held at the Samoan Tourism Association Cultural Centre. Teams wore a matching Puletasi, the traditional formal Samoan dress for women.
Teams were welcomed to Samoa through an 'Ava ceremony.
“To have both teams honour Samoan culture by wearing a Puletasi was incredibly special. What made it even more significant was that the elei (pattern) on the Puletasi was created in collaboration with our Pacific Netball Federations,” Sallee Caldwell, Head of Market Development at Netball Australia said.
“This was a proud moment that reflected unity, shared pride and strength of our longstanding partnership. “It was also important the Australian athletes embraced Samoan culture from the outset, and the ‘Ava ceremony was a significantly meaningful way to formally mark the beginning of the tour.”
Across the next four days, the teams contested in three international matches at the Tuana’imato Sports Complex in Apia, showcasing skill, intensity and determination, where both sides left nothing on the court.
Three matches took place at the Tuana’imato Sports Complex in Apia.
Australian Pathways Assistant Coach, Michelle Wilkins, noted the importance of this matchplay opportunity for the team.
“Very few of the pathway athletes would have experienced international netball and the different style of play. That’s something you can't recreate at training,” she said.
“The team was surprised at how quickly they connected on court, given they haven't played together before as a group. It highlighted the value we place on teamwork, understanding yourself, and connecting with others.”
Beyond the on-court experience, the tour challenged pathway athletes to adapt to unfamiliar environments and routines.
“The rigours of travel provide great learnings, waking up in the early hours of the morning, knowing things won’t always go to plan, but you still have to perform,” Pathways head coach Anita Keelan AM said.
“It was great for the girls to discover they could still excel on court even though they may not have had their normal game day routine.”
The tour was an opportunity for athletes to perform and connect on the court.
While Australia claimed the series, beyond the scoreboard both teams demonstrated incredible skills, flair, and connection with teammates on the court.
For the Samoa Invitational team, who utilised the tour as crucial preparation ahead of the upcoming Netball World Cup Oceania Qualifiers in Tonga, high-level competition was exactly what they were hoping for.
Netball Samoa utilised the tour as preparation in the lead up to the Netball World Cup Oceania Qualifiers.
“Winning is always important, but for this Ocean of Power tour, preparation, planting seeds, and ensuring our players were clear on structures and team dynamics has been essential,” Samoa Tifa Moana head coach Natalie Mathews said.
“Building connection between our athletes and getting three significant matches at full international minutes has been a huge preparation platform for us.”
For goal shooter Auteletoa Tanimo, who has been part of the Samoa Tifa Moana since 2014, the tour was invaluable for the squad’s development.
“The team culture, learning a lot from each other, getting feedback from coaches to build on our own individual play and how to connect as a team. It’s been a huge help to be here,” Tanimo said.
With family heralding from Pata, Falelatai and Samalaeulu, Savai’i, any opportunity to represent Samoa means so much more than just competition.
“When you come to Samoa to play, it feels like putting on your heart. It’s not just about putting on the dress; it’s about the history and sacrifices that come with it,” she said.
For many athletes, representing Samoa runs deeper than simply competition.
The impact of the tour extended far beyond the three matches.
“Anything that comes back to the motherland is always going to be grounding, which serves a purpose of rebuilding our team culture,” Netball Samoa CEO Justine Wilson-Ata said.
“For players to come back here and reconnect, it’s reiterated why they play for Samoa and want to represent their nation.”
Alongside matchplay, the tour helped build capacity across Netball Samoa’s ecosystem, with umpire education and training, including four new C Badge umpires accredited and additional training delivered for bench officials.
Alongside matchplay, Netball Australia and Netball Samoa delivered umpire and bench official training.
“Because we’ve already made progress in the umpire development space, this has created growing interest, so this tour was a great opportunity to continue showing there are pathways within netball broader than playing,” Wilson-Ata said.
“Building capacity leads to long-term sustainability of a sport. This can range from developing umpires and bench officials or supporting schoolteachers’ understanding of how to facilitate trainings and teach children netball.
“That’s true sustainability.”
Following the series, the Australian and Samoan teams delivered clinics at local schools, leading activities focused on hand-eye coordination, teamwork, communication, and netball fundamentals.
For Wilson-Ata, connecting the national athletes with local community was a key part of this tour.
Teams deliviered netball clinics at local schools after the series was complete.
“If you really want to grow a sport in a country, that has to be done at a community level. It was great to bring these players to the schools to inspire students and get them engaged in netball, but also, for the athletes to experience the joy sport brings to children in Samoa,” she said.
Thunderbirds training partner Lucy Voyvodic, who was named captain of the Australian Pathway team for the tour, said the school visits were a big highlight for the whole team.
“The kids’ energy and excitement to have us there was so heartwarming, and it reminded all of us why we love this game,” she said.
Australian Pathway captain Lucy Voyvodic said the school visits were a highlight for the team.
Athletes came away from the experience with more than international matchplay experience.
“The different style of netball over here really challenged us, and it’s been so special coming together as a team considering a lot of us hadn’t played together before,” Voyvodic said.
“We’ve grown so much, both as players and as people, and getting to experience Samoan culture along the way made it even more meaningful.”
T he tour was a great success, providing both teams with valuable international match play experience, capacity building opportunities and meaningful cultural engagements. It demonstrated the power of netball to impact lives, connect communities and it showed what women can achieve in netball both on and off the court.
PacificAus Sports is an Australian Government sports diplomacy program that provides Pacific athletes, officials, and administrators access to high-performance training and elite competition. Through partnering with Australian national sporting organisations, like Netball Australia, the program aims to strengthen relationships across the Pacific through sport.
Interested in Netball Australia’s international development work? See more here .
