Battle for the Oceania Netball World Cup spots begins in Tonga next week

The stage is set for an exciting week of top netball action at the Oceania Netball World Cup qualifier in Tonga.

Five regional national teams will be competing for two World Cup spots, when the competition rolls off in Nuku’alofa on Monday.

Hosts Tonga, the Cook Islands, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Samoa will compete for the two spots, joining New Zealand as the three teams from Oceania at the world meet in Australia next year.

Samoa and PNG will kick off the competition on Monday, 14 September, followed by Cook Islands and Fiji.

The round-robin competition ends on 18 September, with the top two advancing to the Netball World Cup.

The Tongan Tala are scheduled to arrive home on Tuesday evening, under head coach Jaqua Pori-Makea-Simpson, who took over as head coach in 2019.

The Tongangs are favourites for one of the two spots because of their impressive record since 2019, which included back-to-back wins at the PacificAus Netball series between 2022 to 2024, and their top 10 ranking in the world.

The Tala was the only Pacific Island team that qualified for the recent 2026 Commonwealth Games, where they finished ninth. They are also seventh on world rankings at the moment.

Tonga Netball CEO Salote Sisifa said hosting the event was a milestone and securing a World Cup spot would be icing on the cake.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to be able to host this for the first time,” she said.

“It is an exciting week of competition and all the teams will be vying to claim the two spots available.

“I know our Tala team has been preparing well and we would ask for the support of all fans in their campaign to secure a world cup spot.”

The Tala will be led by inspirational captain Hulita Veve and will feature top goalshooter Uneeq Palavi.

Palavi, who will be playing her netball in England in the new season, finished as the third best goalshooter at the Commonwealth Games, scoring 219 points in her six games, with an accuracy rate of 92.8 percent.

She finished behind New Zealand’s Grace Nweke who scored 229 goals with an accuracy rate of 90.5% and South Africa’s Elmere van der Berg, who recorded 222 goals from five games.

Tonga will take on Cook Islands in their opening game at the Tonga High School gymnasium on Monday.

Tala squad: Luana Aukafolau, Isabella Fainga’anuku, ‘Otolose Fainga’anuku, Lupe Fonua, Emma Mateo, Uneeq Palavi, Marie Payn, Sovika Pousini, Halaevalu Toutaiolepo, Leila Tu’inukuafe, Hulita Veve and Jariah Vuna-Kivalu.

Fiji Pearls head coach Michelle Parsons believes Tonga are top favourites, along with last year’s PacAust series champions Samoa.

Parsons, named earlier this year to lead the Fijians, the hosts definitely have the upper hand, playing at home and with their impressive record.

“I think Tonga and Samoa are obviously the teams that are ranked really high, and Tonga has legitimately put themselves on the calendar by being eighth in the world and competing really well at the Commonwealth Games,” she told FBC News in Suva.

“With it being a home qualifier for them, I think they’re the biggest threat right now, so definitely Tonga and Samoa.”

But she is also wary of Cook Islands and PNG, who have named strong squads for the event.

“The Cook Islands and Papua New Guinea have invested a lot in their development, so we’re very respectful of everybody,” she told FBC News.

Parsons has a young squad, with most of the senior players from the past three years now out of the team.

The side played at the Spirit Series in Sydney two months ago, finishing third.

They lost to Singapore and the First Nations Black Swans but defeated PNG twice to win bronze.

The Fiji Pearls have a bye first up on Monday and take on Cook Islands in their opening game on Tuesday, 15 September.

Fiji Pearls squad: Leehava Saverio, Maliana Rusivakula, Maria Lutua Rusivakula, Matila Vocea, Abbie Leger, Jimaima Kete, Teuila Sotutu, Nina Nakula, Alisi Naqiri, Elenoa Gukirewa, Varanisese Vula, Vutaeli Tokaduadua. Non-travelling reserves – Elizabeth Adrole, Ana Moi, Anatolia Nuku, Nani Waqaira, Naviniya Sivo and Sanimere Tagicakiverata.

Local players Nicol Tiaore and Nicole Marurai are part of the Cook Islands team competing in the Oceania Qualifiers.

Cook Islands News reported the duo were included in the team announced following the final trials held in Australia earlier in August.

Former Cook Islands captain Luciana Nicholas, who is coaching the team alongside Lucky Letoa and Junior Manapori, said that for the selection process, they decided Brisbane would be the best place to hold their final trials, as most finalists were based in Australia.

Nicholas said prepration has been tough as “unfortunately, funding is always a challenge for us, and we haven’t had the luxury of having a training camp together before the tournament to work on our game plans and combinations”.

She told Cook Islands News that the limited preparation time they have had together is their biggest challenge.

“This has mainly been due to funding constraints, which have made it difficult to bring the whole team together for a proper camp before the tournament.”

But they have been able to get their players working with appointed coaches where they live, toe ase that burden.

“Having a coach in each country also allows us to keep in touch with each other as well as having a virtual online training session.”

Nicholas said the squad is a mix of experienced players and exciting young talent coming through.

“Rather than relying on one or two standout players, we are focused on building a strong team where every player understands their role and contributes to the overall performance,” she said.

“However, I am very proud of our local girls Nicol Tiaore from Avatiu Netball Club and Nicole Marurai from Tupapa Maraerenga Netball Club. Reserve Danielle Arona from Arorangi Netball Club.”

Cook Islands will start their campaign against Tonga on Monday.

Cook Islands squad: Lenae Cowan-Marearai, Tia Crombie, Charlize Gabel-Joseph, Alexandra Iro, Sierra Lau’ese, Maine-Crystal Maro, Nicole Marurai, Rahni Samason, Charniah Shepherd, Ngahuia Te-Rure, Rochelle Teiri and Nicol Tiaore. Non-travelling reserves – Danielle Arona, Genesis Foster-Jonassen and Aphrodite Piri.

Samoa, winners of the PacAust series title last year, tested their players at the recent three-match series against the Australian Pathway squad in July

Netball Samoa CEO Justine Wilson-Ata and Tifaimoana head coach Natalie Mathews told Samoa Observer in Apia the series helped assess the team’s progress ahead of the qualifiers in Tonga.

“Each game offered opportunities to test structures, combinations and conditioning against a strong opponent,” Matthews said.

“The experience has been instrumental in preparing the squad for the next stage of our campaign.”

Samoa’s Invitational teams lost all three matches against the Australian Pathway U23 squad, falling 67-43 in the opening match, 69-46 in the second and 67-42 in the final match.

Netball Samoa said the matches highlighted areas for improvement before the qualifiers, including consistency and execution under pressure.

The series also gave the selectors a clearer picture of the players being considered for the Tifaimoana squad.

Samoa will meet PNG in the opening game on Monday, 14 September.

Samoa squad: Kara Adrole, Papi Alaalatoa, Eseta Autagavaia, Rianah Childs, Lata’anga Holi, Piuti Laban, Kristiana Manu’a, Fa’amu Muliaga, Priscilla Rasmussen-Robertson, Renee Savaiinaea, Mia Swann, Gardenia Treviranus-Asiata; Non-travelling reserves – Unique Pritchard, Auteletoa Tanomi and Maria Tatupu.

A 21-year-old is expected to be playing a lead role in the PNG Pepe’s campaign in Tonga.

Barely out of her teens, Waisame Andrew, is one of the mid-court players named in the PNG squad that will try to win a spot at next year’s Netball World Cup in Sydney.

The mid-courter is the mainstay of the Pepes after flying the national team’s flag since she was 13.

“I wasn’t into netball,” she Australian media in July when she competed at the Spirit Series in Sydney with the Pepes.

“In 2015 they had a Pacific Games, so I was like, ‘I think one day I will represent my country”’.

She had played in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast and competed against Fiji, Singapore and the Black Swans – Australia’s First Nations netball team, in Sydney.

PNG coach Lua Rikis said in July that her squad is young, with a lot of new players.

“This is a bunch of new girls that we brought from home, only a few in the squad have had exposure,” she said.

“We have different girls coming from different cultures, different villages, different languages.

“For us, it’s the love of the sport … most of the girls, I know them, I’ve watched them grow up … and most of them play in local competitions that I’m a part of.

“We come together and then try to make it work for our team, so I think that’s the beauty (of it).”

PNG will meet Samoa first up in their opening game on Monday.

PNG Pepes squad: Kala Ali, Kailani Brazier, Talie’e Hampton, Clera Scot, Michaela Kadlecek, Leighval Albert, Waisame Andrew, Boio Peter, Monique Rousseau, Hana Barretoo, Lesieli Taviri, Tina Poha. Non-travelling reserves – Laurwin Rikis, Aiva English, Jemima Mai