Rotuma High School will be making its long-awaited return to the 2024 Crest Chicken Fiji Secondary School Netball Championship, following a decade-long absence. Fiji Secondary School netball president Navitalai Naivalu stated that RHS must first compete in the maritime rally to secure a spot in the national event scheduled for August 21-23 at the National Netball Centre in Suva.
“There are no automatic qualifiers,” Naivalu noted, adding that other schools such as Adi Maopa from Lau, Koro, Gau, and Kadavu have confirmed their participation as well.
RHS manager Lorraine Wesley announced that the team would compete in the Under-17 division, comprising a squad of 17 players. The community faced challenges in gathering the $7,000 needed to participate, prompting a collaborative fundraising effort that included hosting two kava barrels at the Itumuta community hall.
Wesley expressed her hopes for the team to engage in friendly matches against Kalabu Secondary and Gospel High schools ahead of the maritime rally on August 19 at the NNC in Suva. “Our principal has been in discussions with those schools, but we haven’t received any confirmation yet, as we just arrived yesterday,” she remarked.
All players in the Under-17 team are currently in Year 11, and Wesley sees their participation as a significant learning opportunity. “We are entering as underdogs, and there’s much for us to learn. This will be a valuable experience for the girls,” she said.
While setting expectations, she emphasized the importance of building confidence and gaining exposure in front of other schools. “The rally serves as a great platform for the players to assess their competitiveness. We’ll take things step by step, and who knows, maybe one or two could represent Fiji in netball down the line.”
Wesley also encouraged RHS alumni to come out in large numbers to support the girls during the upcoming championship.