The Fiji Pearls finished the 2022 PacificAus Sports series in fourth place while the Tonga Tala retains the Series Tile two years in a row.
Fiji Pearls played a total of 5 games and won 2 against PNG Pepes and USC Thunder, and lost 3 matches against Tonga Tala, Australian Pathways, and Samoa Tifa Moana.
Fiji Pearls opened their first match by going down to Tonga Tala 74 – 55, in day two Fiji Pearls fell short to Samoa Tifa Moana 59 – 56, and in the third round Australian Pathway beat the Pearls 58 – 34. The girls secured their first win against PNG Pepes in the fourth round 67 – 46, while they made a strong comeback to edge USC Thunder 54 – 50 in their final match.
Fiji Pearls head coach Unaisi Rokoura included 5 new caps for the pearls with two overseas base players.
Making their debut was 18-year-old Elina Drikibau, Reama Verekauta, Josephine Nailumu, and the two overseas base players Naviniya Sivo and Roma Waqa.
Coach Rokoura said that the PacificAus Sports Series was a perfect platform for the players to get exposed to an international level of competition.
“This has given us the opportunity for our players to take the court and have that experience at international Netball,” said Rokoura.
“We’re exposing our pool of players at all these international Netball campaigns allowing them to have a go leading up to the 2023 Netball World Cup in Cape Town,” said Rokoura.
Fiji Pearls will now return to the country to prepare for the upcoming Nations Cup in Singapore on the 4th December.
