Kaiviti Silktails and NSWRL

The Australian Government has partnered with New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) through PacificAus Sports since 2021 to develop pathways to elite competition for Fijian rugby league athletes and enable the development of local coaches, match
officials, and support staff. 

NSWRL creates opportunities for the next generation of Fijian stars, and uses Australia and Fiji's shared love of rugby league to drive opportunities for sporting, cultural, and diplomatic exchange. 

Partnership activities include:

• Kaiviti Silktails participation in the NSWRL Jersey Flegg Competition
  NSWRL supports the Kaiviti Silktails' participation in in the NSWRL Jersey Flegg competition, exposing Fijian players to a high-performance environment and providing a pathway to the NRL. 
• Local capacity building
  NSWRL upskills local Fijian rugby league administrators, coaches, performance staff, medical staff, and game day staff to meet the compliance needs of the competition. This includes the appointment of staff to manage local training, development, staffing and operations, and contribute to enhancing sporting expertise in the Pacific.
• Match official capacity building
  NSWRL works with the Fijian National Rugby League (FNRL) to up-skill their match officials through activities such as remote and in-person coaching sessions and skills/fitness programs. These activities provide more Pacific athletes with high performance opportunities and directly assist the FNRL and the local Fijian Rugby League competitions.

"The Fiji Silktails add such an exciting new dimension to our competitions. To be able to enhance our competitions in this way while, at the same time, providing a pathway for rugby league players in Fiji is a wonderful example of sport working as a vehicle for the mutual benefit of our country and our Pacific neighbours. Moreover, the outcome of the Fiji Silktails playing in our competitions will be an opportunity for capacity-building which would not otherwise be available to Fijian players and teams while playing in local Fijian competitions."

David Trodden, CEO NSW Rugby League