FOUR members of the Baby Pearls team have made it to the senior team to play South Africa in a two-match Test series in Suva next week.
The four players are Episake Kahatoka, Verenaisi Sawana, Talei Waqainabete and Maliana Rusivakula.
Rusivakula would join sisters Afa and Ana Rusivakula in the final 14-member team.
Netball Fiji president Wainikiti Bogidrau said players had gone through good training sessions under coach Vicki Wilson.
“The 30-plus Fiji Pearls triallists completed a four-day intensive training program last week under Wilson. Fourteen girls were named in our Fiji Pearls squad for the series against South Africa,” she said.
“There are four members of the Baby Pearls in the side that competed at the recent Netball World Youth Cup in Botswana.
“The 14 players then underwent three training sessions on Friday and Saturday last week.”
She said she was expecting a good match against South Africa.
“South Africa is Test-hardened team. They have consistently played Test matches over the past two years as opposed to Fiji who last played a Test match at the Netball World Cup in 2015,” she said.
“South Africa is number five in the world, while Fiji is number seven so we are expecting a great game from our visitors, especially as their trip here is on the back of the SANZEA Quad Series currently being played in Australia and NZ.
“We need to play a Test-hardened opponents, but we need these matches not only to expose our players to these high intensity matches but also to remain competitive.”
The first match will be played on Wednesday at 6.30pm at Vodafone Arena in Suva.
The final team for the South Africa series are:
Afa Rusivakula, Ana Rusivakula, Maria Lutua, Maliana Rusivakula, Vaiti Waqatabu, Alesi Waqa, Nina Cirikisuva, Talei Waqainabete, Asilika Sevutia, Kelera Nawai, Reijeli Daveua, Verenaisi Sawana, Alisi Naqiri, Epsiake Kahatoka
