Suva Netball is progressing smoothly with its weekly competition as the final round concluded yesterday, paving the way for the finals series in the next two weeks.
Over eight rounds of competition, the club successfully completed 415 games across its nine registered grades.
A total of 89 teams from 12 clubs compete weekly at the National Netball Centre in Laucala Bay, Suva. This elevates the competitive spirit of the event and expands the talent pool.
“This year, we split the minor grades differently compared to last year when we only had a princess grade for ages nine to 13. Due to increased interest, we created the angels grade for ages eight to 10 and the roses grade for ages 11 to 13. The Princess grade now caters to those aged 14 to 16, the development grade is for ages 17 to 19, and we have premier and Queens grades for those 40 years and above, along with men’s and super grades, making it nine grades this year,” explained Games Coordinator Gabriel Qoro.
The former national netball coach, responsible for organizing matches, noted that clubs reaching the finals would have played 479 games over 12 weeks of competition.
He emphasized that extensive game time is key to the teams’ success each season.
“Our top eight teams from the super grade play one-hour matches every Saturday, and they are our elite players. The development grade for ages 17 to 19 is performing exceptionally well, and these players are selected to represent Suva at the FinanceHub Super League. The players recognize that our development programs are effective, which attracts more talent to Suva. This holistic nurturing from grassroots to higher levels is our association’s strength,” Qoro added.
The competition will take a break next week to allow teams to prepare for the quarter-finals, scheduled for Saturday, August 17 at the National Netball Centre.