Netball Fiji will host the Rising Stars Fiji 21&U Tour at the Vodafone Arena in Suva from August 19 to 23.
This event will prepare the National 21&U Baby Pearls team for the Oceania World Youth Cup Qualifier in the Cook Islands in September.
Competing teams include the current World Youth Cup champions New Zealand 21&U, runners-up Australia, and Singapore.
The five-day tournament will provide valuable competition experience for these teams ahead of the 2025 Netball World Youth Cup. The event will feature match play, fostering international connections and preparing players for elite competition. Athletes will also engage in community activities and cultural exchanges.
The Baby Pearls team will consist of players from Netball Fiji’s premier annual tournament, the FinanceHub Super League.
Netball Fiji CEO Vivian Koster highlighted the importance of the tour for providing a high-level competitive experience.
“It’s an important preparation for our Baby Pearls as they will be playing the World Youth Cup champ and the runner-up, it gives them that exposure as they prepare for the Qualifier in September,” Koster said.
Australia 21&U Head Coach Cathy Fellows, a specialist defence coach for the Fiji Pearls at the Netball World Cup in Cape Town, expressed her enthusiasm to work with the selected squad members.
“I am very excited about the opportunity for this group of selected athletes to get exposure to international competition as part of 2025 Netball World Youth Cup preparations,” Fellows said
