Rotuma High School is set to make a comeback in the 2024 Crest Chicken Fiji Secondary School Netball Championship after being absent for a decade. Fiji Secondary School netball president Navitalai Naivalu stated that RHS must first compete in the maritime rally to qualify for the nationals scheduled for August 21-23 at the National Netball Centre in Suva. “There are no automatic qualifiers,” he noted, adding that schools such as Adi Maopa from Lau, Koro, Gau, and Kadavu have confirmed their participation.
RHS manager Lorraine Wesley confirmed that the team will enter the Under-17 division, which comprises 17 players. Securing funds to travel to Viti Levu was a challenge, with the community coming together to raise the $7,000 needed to take part in the annual schools’ netball event. “We held two kava barrels at the Itumuta community hall for fundraising,” she mentioned.
Wesley expressed hope that her team could arrange at least two friendly matches against Kalabu Secondary and Gospel High schools before the maritime rally on August 19 at the NNC in Suva. “Our principal has been in contact with the two schools, but we haven’t received confirmation yet as we just arrived yesterday,” she added. All the U17 players are currently in Year 11.
“We’re entering as underdogs since there’s much for us to learn, and this will be a valuable experience for the girls,” Wesley shared. “We have expectations, but we will assess how the girls perform concerning their confidence and exposure, especially since it’s their first time playing against other schools.”
She believes the rally provides a great opportunity for the players to build their confidence and evaluate their competitiveness. “We will take it one step at a time; who knows, one or two of them might represent Fiji in netball in the future.” Wesley is encouraging RHS alumni to come out in large numbers to support the girls.