CRICKET AUSTRALIA

The Australian Government has been partnering with Cricket Australia since 2022 to grow the game in the Pacific. The Australia-Pacific Cricket Linkages Program, funded under PacificAus Sports, facilitates access to elite competitions for Pacific athletes, supports pathway programs, and offers opportunities to strengthen ties between First Nations Australians and the Pacific family. 

This program is delivered in partnership with Cricket Papua New Guinea and the Vanuatu Cricket Association and allows Pacific cricketers, coaching and support staff to access Australia’s high-performance training and development pathways to take their performance to the next level. 

Support through PacificAus Sports has enabled the Papua New Guinea national men’s team (the Barramundis) to compete in elite Australian competitions, such as the Top End T20 series in Darwin, while the national women’s team (the Lewas) have competed in the Australian Country Cricket Championships, participated in a high-performance camp in Brisbane, and have had several players placed in teams in Australia’s domestic competitions. The Papua New Guinea U19 men’s and women’s teams have also participated in training camps and competitions in Darwin. 

Australia’s national men’s and women’s Indigenous cricket teams have also toured Vanuatu under the program to promote First Nations cultural engagement within the region. With several historical connections between Vanuatu and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and cultures, the tour was a huge success and provided everyone involved with a platform to learn from and celebrate each other’s cultures through cricket. 

“We are very excited to be part of PacificAus Sports and play a role in the development of cricket in PNG and Vanuatu, from the elite level through to community participation. We also look forward to delivering benefits off the field, including gender equality outcomes, throughout the sport. 

This program will enable us to start in our own region by strengthening relationships with both PNG and Vanuatu. We would like to thank the Australian Government for their support and for helping us to develop the game throughout the Pacific region.”

Nick Hockley CEO, Cricket Australia