A cohort of Suncorp Super Netball League athletes are heading to Fiji where they will join forces with the Fijian Pearls for an exhibition match.
The SSN Tour - Fiji, which is funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in partnership with Netball Australia, will bring together some of the league's elite with the Fijian superstars for an exhibition match in the Pacific nation's capital, Suva.
Players from the Adelaide Thunderbirds and Sunshine Coast Lightning will travel to Fiji, and be guided by Thunderbirds assistant coach Cathy Fellows.
Sunshine Coast Lightning midcourter Annie Miller will travel to Fiji for the tour.In an effort to promote netball excellence and build linkages with the Pacific under the PacificAus Sports Program, SSN players will immerse themselves in a packed week of activities in Fiji.
Their schedule includes school and community clinics, high performance workshops and training with the Fijian Pearls and Fiji’s U/21s.
The SSN athletes will also have the opportunity to meet with Australia’s Acting High Commissioner to Fiji and diplomatic staff while engaging the broader netball community through various media activities.
An exhibition match scheduled for Saturday, August 13 will be opened first with a curtain raiser between the Fijian men's teams.
The following exhibition match will feature the Lightning and Thunderbirds athletes who will each be joined by five Fijian Pearls members to make up their squads.
Adelaide Thunderbirds' Georgie Horjus will also be on that plane to Fiji.The exhibition match is scheduled for 1pm AEST and will be broadcast on FBC Sports and netballaustralia.tv.
The match will be played in a Fast5 format.
The Fijian Pearls will be hoping to take momentum into the exhibition game after cementing their spot at the 2023 Netball World Cup with an impressive performance at the Pacific Qualifiers.
Here's a look at the teams.
TEAM ONE - Sunshine Coast Lightning/Fiji Pearls
Lightning - Maddison Hinchliffe
Lightning - Tara Hinchliffe
Lightning - Reilley Batcheldor
Lightning - Laura Scherian
Lightning - Annie Miller
Pearls - Unaisi Rauluni
Pearls - Maliana Rusivakula
Pearls - Alisi Naqiri
Pearls - Avelina Navue
Pearls - Josephine Nailumu
TEAM TWO - Adelaide Thunderbirds/Fijian Pearls
Thunderbirds - Tayla Williams
Thunderbirds - Hannah Petty
Thunderbirds - Matilda Garrett
Thunderbirds - Georgie Horjus
Thunderbirds - Maisie Nankivell
Pearls - Afa Rusivakula
Pearls - Jimaima Kete
Pearls - Ema Mualuvu
Pearls - Talei Waqanabete
Pearls - Reama Verekauta
