Rotuma High School will make its return to 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 compete in the maritime rally to qualify for the nationals scheduled from August 21 to 23 at the National Netball Centre in Suva.
“There are no automatic qualifiers,” Naivalu noted, adding that schools such as Adi Maopa from Lau, Koro, Gau, and Kadavu have confirmed their participation in the event.
Team manager Lorraine Wesley shared that RHS will compete in the Under-17 division with a squad of 17 players. The journey to Viti Levu posed challenges, as the community worked collectively to raise the required $7,000 to participate in the annual schools netball tournament.
“We held two kava barrels at the Itumuta community hall to fundraise,” Wesley explained.
Wesley hopes her team can organize friendly matches against Kalabu Secondary and Gospel High schools prior to the Maritime rally on August 19 at the NNC in Suva. “Our principal has been in touch with the two schools, but we haven’t confirmed anything yet since we just arrived yesterday,” she mentioned.
All players in the U17 team are currently in Year 11. “We’re entering as underdogs, as there’s a lot for us to learn, and it will be a valuable experience for the girls,” she said. Wesley expressed her expectations but recognized that it ultimately depends on how the girls will perform, as this will be their first time playing against other schools.
“The rally offers a great opportunity for the players to build confidence and assess their competitiveness,” she added. “We’ll take it one step at a time. Who knows, perhaps one or two of them could represent Fiji in netball in the future.”
Wesley is encouraging RHS alumni to show up in large numbers to support the girls.