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The New Zealand national netball team,commonly known as the Silver Ferns,represent New Zealand in international netball. The team take their nickname from the Silver Tree Fern,which is an emblem for many New Zealand sports teams. The Silver Ferns were formed in 1938 as a representative New Zealand team to tour Australia. To date,they have been one of the most dominant national netball teams in the world,along with Australia,and have a winning record against most other netball nations. The Silver Ferns are current world champions and ranked second in the INF World Rankings,behind Australia.
The Fiji national football team is Fiji's national men's team and is controlled by the governing body of football in Fiji,the Fiji Football Association. The team plays most of their home games at the ANZ National Stadium in Suva.
The Fiji National Rugby Sevens Team has competed in the World Rugby Sevens Series,Rugby World Cup Sevens and the Olympics. Fiji won the gold medal in the inaugural rugby sevens at the Summer Olympics in 2016 in Brazil,the country's first Olympic medal in any event,and repeated as Olympic champions in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo,defeating New Zealand. Thus Fiji is the sole nation to have won Olympic gold in the sport. They are the only country in the world to have won the Sevens Treble,the three major achievements in Sevens. They have won multiple World Rugby Sevens Series and Rugby World Cup Sevens.
The 2003 South Pacific Games were held in Suva,Fiji from 28 June to 12 July 2003. They are also known as the XII South Pacific Games.
Rugby union is the most popular sport in Fiji;however,rugby league,netball,and association football are also widely played. Various forms of traditional boat racing and wrestling are also popular.
Sports in Vanuatu are played throughout the country.
The Oceania Netball Federation is the regional body within the International Federation of Netball Associations that governs netball across Oceania. The current president is Wainikiti Bogidrau from Fiji. There are currently twenty four countries within the Oceania region. There are seven full members with New Zealand the only one with elite status. Realistically only thirteen nations,predominantly Commonwealth nations,play the game.
The Cook Islands compete as a part of netball's Oceania region. More than 1,000 players have registered to play the sport. Participation in the game grew during the 1970s. Much of this is possible because of the national governing organisation,the Cook Islands Netball Association which is a member of Oceania Netball Federation. Because of the level of organisation and the game's development,the country has participated at several international events including the Pacific Games,the Commonwealth Games,the World Games,the Oceania Netball Tournament,the World Youth Netball Championship,and the International Challenge Men's and Mixed Netball Tournament. A demonstration of the Cook Islands success can be found by looking at the national team:It is one of the top ranked in the world.
Netball in Oceania is generally regarded as a woman's sport. Women's sports in Oceania have traditionally had a very low profile. Despite this,netball is popular in Oceania,with its growth partly because of New Zealand encouraging the game and providing money for the training of coaches,umpires and other netball development needs. In New Zealand and in neighbouring Australia,netball is one of the most popular sports played by women.
Tuvalu participates in the Pacific Games which is a multi-sport event with participation exclusively from countries in Oceania. Known as the South Pacific Games prior to 2009,the games are currently held every four years.
Fiji competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro,Brazil,from 5 to 21 August 2016. Since the nation's debut in 1956,Fijian athletes had taken part in every edition of the Summer Olympic Games,except for two occasions. Fiji failed to register any athletes at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo,and joined the American-led boycott when Moscow hosted the 1980 Summer Olympics.
Rugby union at the Pacific Games has been contested since 1963 when included as one of ten sports at the first games held in Suva,Fiji. Rugby sevens is the form of rugby now played at the Pacific Games,with men's and women's tournaments included in the current schedule. The women's competition was added for the first time at the 2011 Pacific Games held in Nouméa.
The 1963 South Pacific Games,held from 29 August to 9 September 1963 at Suva in Fiji,was the first edition of the South Pacific Games. The multisport games were established to engender bonds of friendship amongst peoples in the Pacific,after an idea originated by Dr A.H. Sahu Khan was adopted by the South Pacific Commission. At a meeting of nine Territories,held in Nouméa during March 1961,Fiji was awarded the honour of hosting the first Games.
The 1966 South Pacific Games,held at Nouméa in New Caledonia from 8–18 December 1966,was the second edition of the South Pacific Games.
The 1997 South Pacific Mini Games were held at Pago Pago in American Samoa from 11 to 22 August 1997. It was the fifth edition of the South Pacific Mini Games. It was much larger than previous editions,with an almost doubling of the number of medals awarded compared to the 1993 South Pacific Mini Games. The impressive performances by Nauru in weightlifting continued in Pago Pago,with the tiny nation finishing on top of the unofficial medal table after winning 33 gold.
Netball at the Pacific Games has been played by women's netball teams from Pacific nations since 1963. It is the oldest Oceania regional tournament.
Swimming competitions have been held at the Pacific Games since the inaugural edition in 1963 at every Games except for 1983. Swimming has also been held once at the South Pacific Mini Games,in 2005.
Elizabeth Mary Nicholl is a British sports administrator and former netball player. She served as chief executive of UK Sport from 2010–19,and is the current president of World Netball.
The Pacific Netball Series is an annual netball competition organised by the Oceania Netball Federation. This is played by the top four non elite teams in the INF World Rankings.
Evelyn Anne Taylor is a former New Zealand netball administrator,coach and umpire. From 1978 to 1987 she was president of Netball New Zealand and between 1989 and 1999 she was vice-president and president of the International Netball Federation.
References
- 1 2 3 "Board of Directors". World Netball. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
- 1 2 "Daily Post Journalist Wins Major USP Awards". Scoop World. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
- 1 2 "Wainikiti (Kiti) Bogidrau". LinkedIn. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
- ↑ "Wainikiti Bogidrau Appointed To The International Netball Federation Board". Fiji Sun. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
- ↑ "Netball Fiji To Name New Executives And Coach In March AGM". Fiji Sun. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
- ↑ "Netball Oceania elects new President". inside the games. Retrieved 31 December 2021.