Fiji and Australia share a love of sport. It brings us together like nothing else can – we share sporting history and heroes, enjoy our rivalry on the field, and celebrate our successes off it. That is why sport is such an important part of our renewed and elevated Fiji-Australia Vuvale Partnership.
Recognising the strength of this connection, the Australian Government is partnering with the Australian Rugby League Commission to invest in a ten-year program to deepen our engagement with the Pacific through rugby league. This includes support for a PNG franchise to join the Australian National Rugby League (NRL).
The package will deliver funding for grassroots, school, talent and elite pathways in Fiji, using sport to complement our development programs, and improve education, health and gender equity outcomes. There will be a strong focus on girls and women’s rugby league across Fiji and the Pacific, cultivating elite players pathways for girls and women to play at the highest levels.
Building on the recent success of the Pacific Championships, co-hosted in Suva, the partnership will continue to support regular elite competition in Fiji and the Pacific. It was fantastic to see the passion and energy of Fijian rugby league fans who attended the consecutive double-headers, to support the Fiji Bati and Bulikula.
This new program will provide even more opportunities for boys, girls, men and women in Fiji to reach the highest level in the game. This will complement our existing support for Fiji’s elite pathways through the Kaiviti Silktails’ participation in the NSW Jersey Flegg competition, and support for emerging women players and coaches to participate in the Rise Rookie Academy program.
This sports-based program reflects Australia’s unique identity and connections with our Pacific family. In fact, approximately 50 per cent of current NRL and NRLW players have Pasifika heritage.
Sport also plays an important role in important life lessons and building strong communities. Sport keeps kids in school; it teaches them teamwork, cooperation, strategy and discipline. It creates opportunities and builds aspiration.
One of the greatest achievements from the Australian Government’s existing investments in rugby league in the Pacific is the increased participation of schoolboys and schoolgirls, including young Fijians, at international events. It is wonderful to see the passion and skill of the younger generation. Australia’s new investment will further support pathways to develop talent and promote Pasifika representation at the elite level.
The Pacific Rugby League Partnership builds upon 25 years of Australian sports investment to help transform lives and strengthen links with our Pacific family, including:
• PacificAus Sports – developing pathways for Pacific teams and athletes, including the Fijian and Fijiana Drua, to compete in elite competitions; facilitating access to high performance training in Australia, including ahead of the year’s Olympics; and investing in increased presence of Australian elite teams and athletes in the Pacific.
• Team Up – helping address barriers preventing women, girls and people with disabilities from accessing beneficial sport programs.
The new partnership will be designed and delivered in partnership with the Australian Rugby League Commission and our Pacific partners to achieve impacts on and off the sporting field, including in economic development, education, social cohesion, gender equality, and health.
This is an exciting new chapter of our shared sporting history. I am excited to join our Fijian Vuvale to see rugby league in Fiji go from strength to strength, from schools and community competitions to the international stage.
Vinaka vakalevu.
- Ewen McDonald is the High Commissioner of Fiji and Special Envoy for Pacific and Regional Affairs. The views expressed herein are the author’s and not of this newspaper.
