The M-PAiSA Netball Fiji Rally is giving grassroots netball a major boost, with the strong response to the inaugural Northern leg in Savusavu sparking calls for the event to become an annual fixture.
More than 30 teams took part in the Northern Rally last Friday, highlighting the depth of interest and talent in grassroots netball outside Fiji’s traditional competition centres.
For many young players, community competitions such as the M-PAiSA Rally are where their netball journeys begin. The opportunity to compete in a structured tournament provides players with valuable exposure, while giving them a platform to develop their skills and gain experience in competitive netball.
The rally has also brought communities together, with players, families and supporters turning out to celebrate the sport. The response in Savusavu has been particularly encouraging, with growing calls from the Northern community for the rally to return each year.
For Netball Fiji, that response reflects the wider objective of its revival ,strengthening the sport from the grassroots up and creating more opportunities for players across the country.
The partnership with M-PAiSA, operated by Digital Financial Services Pte Limited, a owned subsidiary of Vodafone Fiji, is also helping to strengthen that pathway. The rally marks M-PAiSA’s first sporting event sponsorship and represents an investment in creating opportunities for young women and men to participate in competitive sport, develop their abilities and potentially pursue professional sporting careers.
M-PAiSA General Manager Digital Financial Services, Shailendra Prasad, said the Northern Rally had provided strong momentum for the partnership.
“The Northern Rally was a successful start to our partnership with Netball Fiji. We expect even greater participation in the Central and Western rallies. This is about giving more players the opportunity to compete, develop their skills and take the next step in their netball journey.”
The momentum generated in the North now moves to the Central Division, with the next rally scheduled for Saturday, August 15, at the National Netball Centre in Suva.
The final rally will be held in the Western Division on Saturday, August 29, at Lautoka Central College.
The two remaining rallies are expected to build on the participation seen in Savusavu, with teams, supporters and communities encouraged to come out and support the players as they compete at centre court.
A team poses for a pic. Picture: NETBALL FIJI
