LOCATED about two hours’ drive from Sigatoka Town, Bemana village in Navosa is slowly bringing back its love for sport.
After years without competition, the Heni-Ivi Netball and Rugby Club has been revived, giving young villagers the chance to play, compete and represent their community once again.
At the recent FMF Navosa Netball and Rugby 7s competition, both the Heni-Ivi netball and rugby teams reached the semi-finals, a major achievement for a club still in revival mode.
While neither side progressed to the final, their performances sent a strong message: Bemana is back.
The netball team narrowly missed out on a final berth after going down 9–7 to Qwalimavua, while the rugby side suffered a heartbreaking 15–14 loss to Corika in their semi-final clash.
For netball manager Vani Narabe, the result was less important than what the team represents.
She said the Heni-Ivi netball club was revived after 20 years, with a clear goal to rebuild and lift the standard of netball in the village while giving young girls a platform to shine.
Despite challenges such as the lack of proper coaching resources, Narabe said the team trained hard and gave their best on the court.
She added that the squad is made up entirely of village girls, most of whom are students at St Teresa College in Bemana, with two younger players still in Year 8 at primary school.
“Our aim is to take this club to another level and showcase the young talent we have here,” she said.
On the rugby side, manager Basilio Livono said the club was also on a revival journey, having returned after a five-year break.
Previously known as Seniivi Rugby Club, the team has now been reborn as Heni-Ivi, with a fresh focus on youth development.
Livono said the current squad is mainly made up of Under-20 players who are students from Natabua High School, Ratu Kadavulevu School and St Teresa College in Bemana.
The FMF Navosa 7s marked only their second tournament together, following their first outing at the Nabua 7s in Narata village a few weeks earlier. The team is now preparing for its next challenge at the Yasawa 7s next week.
While the semi-final losses were tough to take, Livono said the experience gained is invaluable as the team continues to grow.
For a small village like Bemana, the revival of the Heni-Ivi Netball and Rugby Club is about more than wins and losses.
It is about giving young people direction, rebuilding pride, and proving that even from the interior of Navosa, talent and determination can still rise to the big stage.
The Heni-Ivi Rugby team at the recent FMF Navosa Netball and Rugby tournament. Picture: SUPPLIED
