A total of 132 teams from approximately 80 schools are scheduled to participate in the Crest Chicken Fiji Secondary Schools Netball tournament, which will take place from August 21-23 at the National Netball Centre in Laucala, Suva. The finals will feature nine zones from different regions across Fiji, with around 1,800 athletes expected to compete this year.
Despite a decrease of 66 teams compared to last year’s event, organizers anticipate that the level of competition will be higher. Navitalai Naivalu, President of Fiji Secondary Schools Netball, thanked Goodman Fielder for their sponsorship, which he believes will help in the development of grassroots netball in Fiji.
Naivalu emphasized the importance of supporting netball at the secondary school level, noting that there are over 4,000 players involved and strong teams ready to compete in the national tournament. He mentioned that schools from remote areas, such as Rotuma and Adi Maopa Secondary School from Lau, will be making a return after a ten-year absence, which adds excitement to the event.
For these schools, participation in the tournament requires them to first succeed in rally competitions, with the top teams advancing to the national level. Suva Grammar is the current champion in the U14 to U19 age groups and will aim to retain its title. Last year, Yet Sen won the open boys title.