Pearls in tough pool with Malawi
The Fiji Pearls need a trick up their sleeves to give world number six Malawi a run for their money when they meet in next month’s third PacificAus Sports Netball Series in Australia.
Malawi is in Pool A with Samoa, Papua New Guinea and Fiji Pearls while Pool B will feature South Pacific champs and world number eight Tonga, Zambia, Singapore and Kenya.
African nations Kenya, Malawi and Zambia are joining the series for the first time, taking the number of participating teams to eight.
The series is part of the build up to the July 28 to August 6 World Cup in Cape Town, South Africa.
Netball Australia executive general manager of Strategy, Government and Community, Glenn Turnor said: “The PacificAus Sports Netball Series has solidified its place in the Netball Australia calendar, and we are thrilled to see it continue to grow in 2023.”
International composure
“With the largest number of teams competing yet, we expect competition on the Gold Coast to be elevated, showcasing the development of our international contenders and the strength of our relationship with Pacific neighbours.
“The six-day series will see teams split into two pools with final placings determined across two days of finals. Matches will be played to World Netball conditions. “
“The PacificAus Netball Series is a product that brings together small island netball nations to the international stage to learn, share and showcase that we are a strong, competitive spectator sport,” Netball Samoa CEO Rosemarie Lome said.
Despite Netball Samoa not qualifying for the 2023 Netball World Cup, Lome stated the series is still an important event to gain exposure at the international level, presenting an opportunity to improve rankings.
Draws: April 24: Kenya v Zambia 1.30pm, Samoa v Papua New Guinea 3.30pm, Tonga v Singapore 5.30pm, Fiji v Malawi 7.30pm. April 25: Zambia v Singapore 1.30pm, Malawi v Papua New Guinea 3.30pm, Tonga v Kenya 5.30pm, Samoa v Fiji 7.30pm. April 26: Singapore v Kenya 1.30pm, PNG v Fiji 3.30pm, Malawi v Samoa at 5.30pm, Zambia v Tonga at 7.30pm. April 27–29: eliminations and final.