With netball pushing for inclusion at the Olympic Games and the inaugural Men’s Netball World Cup on the horizon, the MPaisa Central Rally is providing an important platform for the continued development of men’s netball in the country.

Suva men’s head coach Myron Williams believes competitions such as this can play a key role in building a stronger pathway for men’s netball, both domestically and internationally.

Williams says the push for Olympic inclusion must go hand in hand with greater opportunities for men, with the sport looking to address the gender imbalance at international level.

“For netball to make the Olympic Games, men need to be included.”

He believes Fiji’s continued investment in men’s competitions can help strengthen the game at home while preparing players for opportunities at regional and international level.

The inaugural Men’s Netball World Cup, scheduled for 2028, is another major target, with Williams stressing the importance of giving players regular opportunities to compete.

“The Men’s World Cup is happening in two years’ time as well, so all this preparation that Netball Fiji is doing, these platforms for us to compete at, it is very important for netball.”

Suva enters the MPaisa Central Rally as the team to beat, currently holding both the Open Men’s and Under-23 titles.

Williams says defending those titles remains the immediate goal, with the team focusing on its attacking structures, patience in possession and maintaining a high standard of structured netball.

But the competition is becoming increasingly difficult, with associations across Fiji continuing to develop their men’s programmes.

The inclusion of secondary school players has added another dimension to the tournament, with Suva also fielding schoolboys alongside its senior players.

For Williams, that blend is an encouraging sign of the direction men’s netball is heading.

“The quality of netball grows year after year.”

Although Suva’s players are based in different parts of Fiji and have not been able to train together consistently, Williams says being in the middle of their domestic
season has helped with their preparation.

For now, Suva’s focus is on retaining its titles at the MPaisa Central Rally.

But for Williams, the bigger picture is clear — a stronger men’s game in Fiji could be an important step towards netball’s Olympic ambitions and the country’s future presence at the Men’s Netball World Cup.