The Tongan Tala after their fantastic effort in Suva
Photo: Netball Fiji
Tonga and Fiji face Aussies at netball World Cup
The draw for the 2023 Netball World Cup has paired the Pacific’s two representatives in the same group.
Oceania champions Tonga, and runners-up Fiji, are in Group B alongside 11-time winners Australia.
Zimbabwe are the fourth team in the group.
Holders New Zealand are joined by Uganda, Trinidad and Tobago, and Singapore in Group D.
The tournament takes place between July 28 and August 6 next year in Cape Town, South Africa.
Draw in full
Group A: Australia, Tonga, Zimbabwe, Fiji
Group B: England, Malawi, Scotland, Barbados
Group C: South Africa, Jamaica, Wales, Sri Lanka
Group D: New Zealand, Uganda, Trinidad and Tobago, Singapore
Waqatabu to lead Pearls in Singapore
An experienced Fiji Pearls squad has been named for the 2022 Nations Cup in Singapore next week.
Centre Vaiti Waqatabu will captain the team with Unaisi Rauluni her vice-captain.
Sereana Maragi makes her return to the netball scene after a stint playing rugby.
Matila Vocea, who just played for Fiji in the FIBA Melanesian Basketball Championship, is also in the squad as is Naviniya Sivo.
Fiji Pearls will meet with Botswana, Ireland, Malaysia and Singapore in the seven-day event which starts on Sunday.
Netball Fiji Chief Executive Vivian Koster told FBC Sports the competition provides a valuable match play for the Pearls especially in the lead up to the 2023 World Cup in South Africa.
Kukis learn route needed to make rugby league World Cup
The Cook Islands will face a team from Africa as they look to qualify for the 2025 men’s Rugby League World Cup.
The qualifying draw has paired the Kukis with the winner of the 2023 Middle East and Africa Cup, which contains South Africa, Nigeria and Ghana, in the inter-regional repechage.
The other Pacific nations – Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Papua New Guinea have all qualified for 2025 by reaching at least the quarter-finals of this year’s recently-completed competition in England.
The Cook Islands’ womens teams have already qualified for the Women’s Rugby League World Cup in France.
PNG have also qualified, but Fiji, Samoa and Tonga will compete against each other for two qualifying spots.
