Since 2021, Netball Australia has partnered with Pacific Netball Federations and the Australian Government to deliver the Team Up One Netball program – supporting communities to experience lifelong enjoyment, social inclusion, and improved physical health through netball.
Team Up has achieved significant wins by delivering safe, inclusive netball programs in the Pacific which empower women and girls to shine.
To ensure the program continues to meet local community needs, Netball Australia, Netball PNG, Netball Samoa, and Tonga Netball Association have redesigned the program through a thorough collaborative process where Pacific culture was at the heart.
The new program, Pass It On, highlights the passing of knowledge to the next generation of children and adolescents in Pacific communities. This is a practice significant to Pacific communities where knowledge, skills and values are passed from one generation to the next.
Leaders from Pacific Netball Federations convened in Melbourne to redesign the new community netball program.
1. REDESIGN & REIMAGINE
The process began with a five-day consultation workshop hosted by Netball Australia and Team Up, bringing together CEOs and Sport Development Officers from the Pacific Netball Federations to reflect on achievements, challenges, and opportunities for community netball in the Pacific.
Through Talanoa (a Pacific term for sharing ideas through conversation and storytelling), the workshop discussed how the program could be improved with a long-term focus on sport for development outcomes and sustainability.
Each federation outlined the health and social issues currently faced in their respective countries and discussed how netball can be a vehicle to address these issues, alongside the barriers to participation and how the program should aim to mitigate these.
The workshops centred around collaboration and sharing knowledge.
CEO of Tonga Netball Association Salote Sisifa reflected on the importance of this collaborative, co-designed approach.
“So much sharing has come into place, our common challenges, but also the opportunities that come along with it,” she said.
“We’re redirecting our focus to high priority areas and that lens of a bigger picture for the overall betterment of netball, not just in Tonga but also Oceania, and our partnership.”
CEO of Netball PNG Lynette Maha praised the development of the new program.
“We’re aiming to have more Papua New Guineans playing more netball in more places more often,” she said.
“With this new program coming in, we’re incorporating sport for development objectives which fall well with our vision. Learning life skills like confidence, being able to speak up, education, knowing the right values. We’re grateful to be part of this program.”
Sport Development Officers from Pacific Netball Federations came together to review the program's practical elements
2. REFINE & PRACTISE
To ensure the new program was led by local knowledge in the Pacific, Sport Development Officers from Pacific Netball Federations attended a practical workshop in Melbourne to review and amend elements of the program according to the contexts of their communities.
Netball Australia supported this process by sharing resources, including an adapted version of the Netball in Schools program, which provided a strong, practical starting point for discussion.
The new program builds on existing successes of community netball in the Pacific.
The insights and feedback from Sport Development Officers were inputted into a monitoring and evaluation framework which informed the new program’s final design.
The objectives of the next phase of the program are:
- Using the power of netball to support children and adolescents to live healthy, happy, gender equitable lives.
- Empowering children and adolescents to find their place in society through a fun and engaging netball program.
- Inspiring children and adolescents to be leaders with purpose and drive positive social change.
- Develop life skills and foster learning in a safe and supportive environment.
Tonga Netball Association Sport Development Officer Uinita Tauhalaliku is looking forward to the new program's impact.
“It’s exciting, we’re doing a lot of new activities, with a new approach,” she said.
“Currently in Tonga, we’re doing a lot of netball focused activities, but these new activities relate to life skills and our Team Up vision to transform lives through netball. It’s a dream come true for us at Tonga Netball Association to deliver life skills by using netball as a tool.”
The program aims to use the power of netball to support children and adolescents develop life skills and foster learning in a safe and supportive environment.
3. SHARE & TEACH
Once the refreshed curriculum was established, Netball Australia facilitators travelled to PNG, Samoa, and Tonga to lead ‘Train the Trainer’ workshops with each federation’s community leaders – including coaches, schoolteachers, and volunteers.
These workshops aimed to support leaders in bringing the redesigned program to life, equipping them with the tools to deliver engaging netball sessions for children and adolescents, while incorporating educational messages supporting health and social wellbeing.
Topics covered include:
- Curriculum implementation and game-based activities to engage young people
- Promoting teamwork, inclusion and group cohesion
- Providing feedback to support confidence and participation
- Adapting activities to suit participants’ development, engagement and ability
- Contributing to a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment
Community leaders are now bringing the new program to life delivering engaging netball sessions.
Netball Samoa Country Program Manager Tusi Faasootau-Ale highlighted the importance of supporting coaches to deliver community programs.
“We’ve been working closely with Team Up and Netball Australia to ensure we’re equipping local umpires and coaches with the skillsets to be able to go far with netball,” she said.
“With the Team Up program, we’re really looking to build confidence within young players.”
As of February 2026, pilot program is currently underway to trial the new content and gather feedback from participants and coaches to assess its impact and any changes needed.
Netball Australia’s Head of Market Development Sallee Caldwell reflected on the program’s continued growth in this next phase.
“Netball Australia is incredibly proud of our strong and enduring relationships with Pacific Netball Federations, and this redesigned program is a true testament to that partnership,” Caldwell said.
“By listening to and being guided by their knowledge and expertise, we have taken a highly successful Netball in Schools program and adapted it to include engaging, culturally relevant content that supports the growth and development of children and adolescents across the Pacific.
“This redesign reflects a genuine collaboration, and one that will continue to evolve to ensure the program remains responsive to the needs and priorities of Pacific communities.”
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, Team Up’s programs are specifically designed to provide all people, regardless of gender or ability, the opportunity to realise their full potential through sport.
Interested in Netball Australia’s international development work? See more here.
