Suva Netball is progressing smoothly with its weekly competition, as the final round concluded yesterday, leading up to the finals series in the next two weeks.
During eight rounds of competition, the club managed to complete 415 games across nine registered grades.
A total of 89 teams from 12 clubs compete weekly at the National Netball Centre in Laucala Bay, Suva, enhancing the competitive spirit of the tournament and broadening their talent pool.
“This year we divided the minor grades compared to last year, where we only had a princess grade for nine to 13 years old. We saw a lot of interest, so now we have a grade for eight to 10-year-olds called the angels, and for 11 to 13-year-olds referred to as the roses grade. The Princess grade is for ages 14 to 16, the development grade for ages 17 to 19, followed by the premier and Queens grade for 40 years and above. We also have the men’s and super grade, making nine grades in total this year,” Games Coordinator Gabriel Qoro explained.
The former national netball coach, who oversees and plans the matches, highlighted that clubs reaching the finals will have played 479 games over 12 weeks of competition.
He stated that this extensive game time is the key to their teams’ success each season.
“Our top eight from the super grade play one-hour games every Saturday and they are our top performers. Our development grade for ages 17 to 19 is also performing really well, and these are the players we select to represent Suva in the ongoing FinanceHub Super League. Players recognize that our development programs are effective, which motivates them to join Suva. This emphasis on player development from the grassroots level up is our association’s secret to success,” Qoro added.
Competition will take a break next week to allow teams time to prepare for the quarter-finals, scheduled for Saturday, August 17, at the National Netball Centre.