The primary schools netball tournament underway at Subrail Park in Labasa has been declared the biggest in its history, with organisers reporting more than 2,000 young players converging on the northern town from across Fiji. Fiji Primary Schools Netball president Sisilia Cokanauto said the expanded field has stretched the competition beyond anything previously seen for the event.
“Labasa was the perfect venue for the expanded competition,” Cokanauto said, noting that the number of participating districts jumped from the usual 20 to more than 30 this year. The scale of the tournament is reflected in the packed schedule: organisers have scheduled a total of 460 games to be played across two days, with roughly 250 matches slated for the first day and about 210 on the second.
To manage the heavy fixture load, matches are being played simultaneously across 10 courts at Subrail Park. Cokanauto said the multiple courts were essential to keeping the tournament on time and ensuring teams from across the islands could get their games played in the limited window available.
The competition has also highlighted the distances many young players travel to attend. Cokanauto pointed out that for some children this has been their first-ever trip by boat to reach Labasa, an experience that has added to the excitement around the tournament. “For most of them, this is their first time travelling this far, and the excitement is clearly there,” she said.
Officials say the tournament’s unprecedented turnout is not only a logistical milestone but also a potential catalyst for further growth of netball in the north. Cokanauto expressed hope that staging the event in Labasa — and on such a large scale — will boost local interest and development pathways for young players in the region.
With matches continuing at Subrail Park, organisers and local hosts are focused on completing the two-day program smoothly and maximising the exposure and competition opportunities for the record number of participants.