Netball Fiji is pleased to announce that under the PacificAus Sports Program (PSP), Ema Mualuvu and Matila Vocea both members of the current National Squad have been selected to be part of the Athlete Immersion program and will travel to Australia to play in the 2021 Netball Queensland HART Sapphire Series for the Northern Mendi Rays.
The objective of this aspect of the PSP program is to develop pathways for established athletes to play in high level Australian sports competitions and allow these athletes to benefit from high-performance coaching and training, leadership development as
well as education opportunities.
The duo are very excited about the opportunity to feature in the HART Sapphire Series.
Netball Fiji President RubyAnn Sorovaki says “Netball Fiji is pleased with this opportunity through the PacificAus Sport program as this means our girls are getting much needed exposure in a high-performance environment that will test them in all
areas and then they come back and add value via their learnings and experience with their club and district teams and ultimately with the national squad. ‘It also adds an element of excitement with our local netballers to see what they can be part of if they
work hard on and off the court and play and train hard.’
“I thank Netball Fiji for my selection to play in the Sapphire Series for the Northern Mendi Rays team and I look forward to improving and learning more skills & tactics on and off the court. I know this exposure will also help me to improve my performance in any national & international tournaments,” Mualuvu said.
“I am beyond grateful for the chance to play in such a prestigious semi-professional league as this opportunity will give me exposure on and off the court. The opportunity will help me develop my game to another level and therefore I will be able to share the knowledge that I have learnt with my fellow netball colleagues here in Fiji” says Vocea.
National Pearls Coach, Jenny Brazel says she is so very happy for the two athletes to be part of this. ‘They will play in a tough week to week competition against high caliber elite athletes and get to work in a high-performance daily environment adding to an all-round great experience for their netball development.
Mualuvu and Vocea will be in Australia from June to October 2021.
Former national reps that have played in similar competitions in the past in Australia include Matelita Shaw, Taraima Rara, and Mere Rabuka with the Sutherland Shire Netball and more recently Maria Lutua as training partner with the Sunshine Coast
Lightning team in the Suncorp Super League Series.
