Netball Australia

Throughout 2019, Netball Australia actively supported the national teams of Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, and Tonga prepare for international competitions. Netball Fiji and Netball Samoa were both competitors in the Netball World Cup, held in England in July. Tonga and Papua New Guinea both played in the Pacific Games, also held in July in Samoa, finishing second and third respectively.
 
The support provided by Netball Australia included:

• training camps in Australia and on the ground in the Pacific;
• support for qualification opportunities for international competition and major events; 
• exchange opportunities for talented Pacific netballers to train and play in Australia;
• travel and accommodation to the Netball World Cup and the Pacific Games;
• athlete development support in home countries;
• equipment and uniform supplies;
• sports science and sports medicine support staff;
• coaching resources; and 
• professional development for coaches and officials.

The support provided was integral to the competition preparation of the Pacific Netball Associations, and the experiences gave those involved direct access to the benefits of training and preparing in high-performance sports environments. 

Netball Australia’s activities have shifted in response to Covid-19 travel restrictions, with a new focus on capacity-building initiatives, delivered remotely. Players and staff from Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Tonga have been involved in remote coaching sessions with elite-level coaches in Australia who are providing real-time feedback to their counterparts in the Pacific. 

Netball Australia is also developing an online platform for its Pacific partners that will provide valuable resources including training videos, drills, session plans and injury-prevention techniques. 

“Netball Australia is pleased to extend our support for the growth and development of netball internationally, particularly given that netball plays such an important role in strengthening communities and providing opportunities for girls and women to shine throughout the world.”

Melonie Lowe, Executive General Manager Community and Market Development