Cricket Fiji is poised for a transformative year in 2026, with chief executive Siti Rokoro outlining an ambitious roadmap focused on expanding women’s and girls’ cricket. This initiative comes on the heels of a successful ICC Women’s T20 World Cup East Asia Pacific Qualifier held in September, which has inspired the organization to enhance local talent development.
A significant highlight of the upcoming year will be the introduction of Fiji’s first national under-19 women’s tournament. This new competition aims to engage young players from across the nation, ensuring that girls from diverse regions have the opportunity to participate. Rokoro emphasized the importance of a robust school-based qualifying program that will enable widespread representation, stating, “We will run schools’ tournaments here in Suva, Tailevu, Sawani, Nasinu, Serua, in the West, and in the islands of Moce, Lakeba, and Cicia. We hope to include that in our calendar for the first week of the school break in Term 1.”
Building on the momentum created by the World Cup qualifiers, the initiative seeks to create a platform where young female athletes can showcase their skills and aspirations in cricket. Furthermore, Cricket Fiji plans to revive the national women’s tournament in August, a competition that was started in 2022 but previously paused due to ground unavailability. Rokoro expressed hope that this revival will restore competitive opportunities, as the last iteration featured only four teams.
In exciting prospects for 2026, a potential international friendly match against an overseas team from New Caledonia could further enhance game experience for Fiji’s women’s teams. “We met the director of cricket in New Caledonia; they want to visit Fiji next year for a possible match against our national women’s team, but that’s not confirmed yet,” Rokoro shared.
In addition to these developments, Cricket Fiji has planned two major international tournaments next year, one for the girls’ under-19 teams and another for the national men’s team. With these initiatives, Fiji is setting a hopeful and determined course toward fostering a thriving cricket community, particularly for women and girls, enriching both the sport and the lives of its young athletes.
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