Mataiasi Stark 
The Ratu Finau Netters team [Photo: Mataiasi Stark]
The journey to the Crest Fiji Secondary Schools Netball Championship has been anything but easy for Ratu Finau Secondary School.
Representing Lakeba in Lau, the school’s Under-17 side has had to overcome challenges ranging from rough seas and limited resources to accommodation difficulties upon arriving in Viti Levu.
Coach Melesiana Rawaico says the team’s journey began under difficult circumstances as they travelled to Suva during a period of unsettled weather in the islands.
“One of the main challenges we faced was the weather when we came across from Lau. As we all know, recently a few people were rescued from the sea in Lau and one of our players’ parents was among them. We faced rough seas on our way to Suva.”
Upon arrival, the team faced another obstacle in finding suitable accommodation.
“When we got here, we faced another challenge, which was finding a place for our team to camp. We’re grateful that one of our students’ parents took us in at Cunningham to camp.”
Rawaico says competing against schools from Viti Levu also highlights the disparity in resources available to students in the maritime islands.
“As we can see here in Suva, a lot of the schools have resources and their players play club games, which we don’t have.”
Despite the challenges, she believes the experience gained at the championship will be invaluable for her players.
“At the end of this competition, I know my players will learn a lot of things, especially the rules of the game and also the way schools here play, the tempo.”
Rawaico is confident the lessons learned this week will benefit the team in the future.
