The under-17 national AFL teams competing in the 2024 Pacific Cup in Australia are made up of players representing various schools around the country.
Laisa Vakausausa, the talent academy manager and development officer for AFL Fiji, mentioned the team fielded players from as far as Niusawa on Vanua Levu.
The two teams also travel with nine students from Suva Grammar School and Vakausausa highlighted their inclusion as a boost to the young and upcoming side.
“They were the ones that helped out in advertising, our grades and our competitions, our academy as well and we’ve had so many students from different schools,” Vakausausa revealed.
While the inclusion of players from various parts of the country was an added boost to the teams, she lamented the challenges faced by players who travelled from rural areas.
“They have been coming every week to train, and stay over with a few of their officials just to attend training,” she highlighted.
She pointed out the player from Niusawa in Vanua Levu had come over to Viti Levu to try her hand at rugby and chose AFL as the lane through which her passion for the sport could spark to life, ultimately leading to her inclusion in the national U17 side. With the two U17 teams preparing for the competition to kick off this Thursday, it will also be the largest contingent of players ever taken by Fiji to an AFL competition.
Meanwhile, Fiji’s delegation to Australia consists of a senior men’s team and two U17 teams.
