Inaugural PacificAus Sports Netball Series to be staged in Sydney

Netball Australia will host the inaugural PacificAus Sports Netball Series in Sydney from 21st to 26th March.

Further strengthening Netball Australia’s links in the region, the series will provide high-level competition for the national teams of Netball Australia’s PacificAus Sports partners - Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Tonga.

Also participating in the Series is invitee Singapore, as Netball Australia continues to support the Asian Netball region in the lead-up to the 2027 Netball World Cup.

Under the PacificAus Sports program and funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), the Series will mark the first time the teams have competed internationally since the COVID-19 pandemic began and offers an opportunity to test their strategies ahead of the Oceania Netball World Cup Qualifiers in Fiji in July.

Advising that Series highlights the importance of international relationships with Netball Australia's Pacific partner countries and beyond, Netball Australia Executive General Manager Strategy, Government and Community, Glenn Turnor commented “Netball Australia is a global leader in growing the game of Netball and we can’t wait to showcase the talents and success stories of female athletes, coaches, and leaders from the Pacific.

“The Singapore National team, while on their Australian tour, will be a welcome addition to the Series.

“Australia, Singapore and the Pacific have long-lasting friendships and connections through netball. The opportunity to include Singapore will only help revitalise Netball in the Asia-Pacific region and provide a platform for all teams to develop and grow leading into the 2027 World Cup.”

The PacificAus Sports Netball Series is proudly supported by the Australian Government through the PacificAus Sports program.

The Series’ theme of One Court, One Family will highlight the objectives behind the PacificAus Sports program, including:

• Developing pathways for Pacific teams to play in high-level Australian sporting competitions,

• Supporting Australian teams to increase their presence and participation in the Pacific, and

• Creating pathways for emerging Pacific athletes to benefit from high-performance coaching and training.

Netball Samoa Chief Executive, Rosemarie Esera said the PacificAus Sports Netball Series is an opportunity to showcase her national players and evaluate Samoa’s in-country program, adding “just being able to get our team on the court will be a huge achievement.

“Bringing our regions together through netball will allow us to assess where we are, what needs to be worked on, and provides the opportunity of being part of an international fixture.”

The event is free for spectators and will be available to stream live.