The Wanderers netball club from Australia made an impressive show at the Salad Bowl Netball Festival in Sigatoka yesterday, marking their third visit to the country.
Led by coach Marianna McKay, the team consists of players from across Australia, many of whom had never met before this tour.
Despite the unfamiliarity, the team has quickly gelled under McKay’s leadership.
“We’ve got 19 players two form two open teams. So, the age ranges from about 19 years of age. So, my job is to gel them all together when they haven’t known each other, but after a few games under their belt, they got used to it. The weathers have been quite kind,” she said.
The Wanderers have a long-standing relationship with Fiji, having toured the country previously, and they are no strangers to the local competition.
“We came with three junior teams in December last year, and those teams played in Suva,” McKay added.
The club has built solid connections with the Suva and Salad Bowl Netball Associations and plans to return next year.
This tour, however, was about more than just competition. The players were eager to embrace the local culture and create lifelong memories.
“The girls were really looking forward to today(yesterday) and experiencing everything Fiji has to offer,” she said.
As the Wanderers prepare to head back to Australia next week, the success of their Fijian tours only strengthens the club’s ties to the region and its commitment to continuing its involvement in local netball events.
The Australian visitors plan to return next year.
