The Yasawa South netball team has overcome major logistical and financial hurdles to arrive in Labasa for the Crest Fiji Primary School Netball Tournament after raising more than $18,000 to fund the journey from the Southern Yasawa islands.
Team manager Litia Sauqaqa said the contingent — the furthest travelling in this year’s competition — comes from Naviti and Waya islands and includes players across age grades from under-9 to under-14. “Altogether, we have 67 players, 16 teachers, and about 71 parents and supporters,” Sauqaqa told this newspaper, putting the travelling party at roughly 154 people in total. The scale of the group and remote origin made fundraising essential to make participation possible.
Sauqaqa said communities, parents, schools and local sponsors rallied behind the effort. Waya Island Resort stepped in to assist with meals, while South Sea Cruises offered concession rates for the long sea legs of the journey. Even so, travel remained the largest single expense: costs for the Nadi to Labasa leg alone exceeded $8,000, she said, with the team first travelling to Nadi before completing the trip to the tournament venue in Labasa.
The team departed on Thursday and took three days to reach Labasa, travelling in staggered groups that required some players and chaperones to be accommodated in Nadi before continuing. On arrival they were billeted at Labasa Sangam College, where organizers allocated five rooms to the visitors from the Yasawas.
Distance and weather-dependent crossings have also limited the squad’s preparation. Sauqaqa said the islands’ isolation means players rarely train together ahead of national events; much of the team bonding happens on the boat trips. “Unlike other teams that were able to camp and prepare for weeks, Yasawa South players only got together upon arrival at the competition venue,” she said. “The first time they truly play together is on day one of the tournament.”
Despite those constraints, Sauqaqa emphasised the importance of the opportunity for young islanders to compete on a national stage. The fundraising drive and sponsor support, she said, demonstrated strong community commitment to giving remote children access to sporting development. She thanked Waya Island Resort, South Sea Cruises and the parents and schools who contributed to the campaign.
The team’s arrival underlines the logistical challenges faced by remote island teams seeking to participate in national school competitions and highlights the role of community fundraising and private-sector concessions in bridging the gap. Yasawa South’s presence in Labasa will now be judged on court, where players who met as a team only days ago will test themselves against better-prepared opponents.