Rotuma High School is set to rejoin the 2024 Crest Chicken Fiji Secondary School Netball Championship after a decade-long absence. Fiji Secondary School netball president Navitalai Naivalu stated that RHS must first participate in a maritime rally to qualify for the nationals, which will take place from August 21 to 23 at the National Netball Centre in Suva.
“There are no automatic qualifiers,” Naivalu noted. Schools like Adi Maopa from Lau, Koro, Gau, and Kadavu have already confirmed their participation in the events.
RHS manager Lorraine Wesley announced that their team will compete in the Under-17 division, consisting of 17 players. The community faced challenges in securing the $7000 required to take part in the annual netball event, necessitating a joint fundraising effort. Wesley shared that they organized fundraising activities, including using two kava barrels at the Itumuta community hall.
Wesley expressed hope that her team can arrange at least two friendly matches against Kalabu Secondary and Gospel High schools before the maritime rally on August 19 at the National Netball Centre in Suva. “Our principal has been in touch with the two schools, but we haven’t received confirmations yet since we just arrived yesterday,” she said.
All players in the Under-17 team are in Year 11. Wesley acknowledged that they are entering the competition as underdogs, emphasizing the importance of this experience for the girls. “We have our expectations, but we’ll see how the girls perform in terms of confidence and exposure, as this will be their first time playing in front of other schools,” she stated.
She also noted that the maritime rally provides a valuable opportunity for players to build confidence and assess their competitiveness. “We’ll take it one step at a time. You never know; maybe one or two of them will represent Fiji in netball in the future,” Wesley added.
Wesley encouraged RHS alumni to come out in strong numbers to support the team during the competition.