By Elizabeth Winter
Last week was bursting with opportunity for young athletes in the Australian 21/U Squad as they visited Suva, Fiji to compete in the Rising Stars: Fiji 21/U Tour alongside competitors New Zealand, Singapore and Fiji.
The athletes performed exceptionally in an international environment ahead of the Netball World Youth Cup (NWYC) 2025, demonstrating the strength of the program and the team’s collaboration with other nations.
Creating connection off the court
At the beginning of the tour, Australia, Fiji, New Zealand and Singapore had a chance to connect through their different cultures.
The athletes were welcomed to Suva by President of Netball Fiji RubyAnn Sorovaki, and the Australian Deputy High Commissioner Mrs. Clair McNamara.
Athletes were encouraged to prepare a cultural activity or performance from their home country. The event was filled with song and laughter as athletes shared traditional music and childhood games from their culture with the group.
New Zealand performed a traditional Waiata for their fellow athletes.Supported by the Australian Government through the PacificAus Sports program, the welcome event was designed to provide athletes the opportunity to connect off the court as friends, recognising and celebrating their cultural backgrounds.
The event was an opportunity for athletes, coaches and umpires to get to know one another in a relaxed environment ahead of the competition, advocating for ‘friends and rivals through sport’.
Australian Athletes with their traditional Fijian fan (Iri) given to them by Fiji Netball Association.Sport development
The Australian 21/U Squad proved their prowess as top international athletes, winning all matches across the week against their counterparts from Fiji, New Zealand, and Singapore.
Their technical skill, grit, and ability to adapt to a variety of different styles of play has proven effective as they continue their preparation in the lead up to the Netball World Youth Cup 2025.
Australian 21/U head coach Cathy Fellows emphasised the importance of gaining international exposure during this tour.
Australian 21/U athletes are preparing for 2025 Netball World Youth Cup.“It has been an amazing opportunity to come together as an extended squad from all around Australia and develop connections with athletes and support staff both on and off the court,” Fellows said.
“Also pleasing was the progression over the week in both the athletes’ individual capacity and as part of their positional units.”
Head Coach Cathy Fellows is impressed with the 21/U Squad's performance.Fellows was impressed with the side’s ability to play against different opponents and playing styles.
“To travel and play internationally, experiencing for any challenges it can present is great preparation pre-NWYC," Fellows explained.
“Playing in a tournament style competition also provided us an opportunity to replicate some of the scenarios that might appear at next year’s tournament.
“A massive thankyou to PacificAus Sports, Netball Australia and Netball Fiji for supporting this opportunity.”
Community engagement in Suva
Athletes took part in community exchanges across the week, working alongside each other on activities such as engagement with local schools in the Fijian capital of Suva.
Before the Australian squad’s first training session, the athletes attended the Secondary School Championships for Fiji’s ‘Maritime Islands’, which included schools from the remote Lau Group as well as Rotuma, an island located 465km from Suva.
Some of these school teams travelled for two days by boat to attend the championships, staying in Suva for two weeks until the next return ferry.
For many students from these islands, the school championships was their first time playing on an indoor court.
The Australian athletes’ presence at the tournament was greatly received and the team stated that the students were ‘overjoyed’ at the squad’s attendance.
Australian athletes attended the Maritime Islands Schools Rally.Final round up
As well as providing opportunities for participating teams, the Rising Stars: Fiji 21/U Tour also involved an umpire development program for the top talent of Fijian umpires including mentoring and assessment from former top international and All-Australian (AA) umpire Stacey Campton.
Netball Fiji CEO Vivian Koster was enthusiastic about the outcomes of the Rising Stars: Fiji 21U Tour.
“We have all learned something from it,” Koster said.
“Whether it be the players themselves or the team environment, it’s been a huge success.”
The 21/U athletes will compete again at the Netball World Youth Cup 2025.Training in hotter climates, being away from their usual venues and experiencing different cultures provided good insight for all participating teams ahead of further international competition.
Matches between teams were fierce and competitive, an indicator of what’s to come at next year’s Netball World Youth Cup.
Interested in Netball Australia’s work with Netball Fiji? See more here: https://netball.com.au/fiji-netball-association
