Page 34 - IB October 2024

Sports

According to Milo, women’s rugby is rising in the island. coach,” says Fiji’s Tavaita Rowati.
“A lot of the women are getting into 7s. I know that 7s is She says the GHPA has shown her: “It’s important to
being played in schools and senior rugby, with some clubs understand what high performance is and how it works at
playing 7s rugby,” she said an elite level. Most of my learning is around that and the
In September, the Manusina secured a historic win against responsibility of building a culture to empower young girls.
Australia A at Apia Park, Samoa. The home game experience “It is about getting more visibility, breaking through the
had a positive influence on the team. “Our players were coaching position and getting more opportunities to coach.
sharing how cool it was to play in the islands. There’s a It’s important for me to know when that opportunity is given,
different meaning to the jersey now that our players have I know I’m credible enough,” said Rowati.
gone back to Samoa and see the people,” said Milo. In terms of the current status of women’s rugby in Fiji,
“I think, given more test matches in Samoa or more Rowati believes that momentum is building through the
visibility, women’s rugby will continue to grow in both 7s and strides made by the national Fijiana 7s and 15s on the
15s,” she added. international stage. “This momentum has brought more girls
Milo also highlighted some areas where she hopes to see into the grassroot level and more participation in Fiji.
improvement. “We need resources to attend training, run “The support from World Rugby and Fiji Rugby has been
more clinics in schools, and expand the school games. I also good in terms of equal participation and opportunities for
think we need to have financial stability that will provide women, not only for players but also for women in coaching
better resources for coaches to specifically focus on our and working in a high performance environment,” she added.
school game with girls. We need to build our pathways and Rowati emphasised more alignment is needed in women’s
more opportunities for our women players in Samoa. rugby in Fiji, saying: “We need both women and men who
“We’ve also got three strong local-based Samoan women are passionate about coaching women. We need the right
here with our team in Dubai. They continue to put Samoa on resources to build more women players and create healthier
the map in their own right. That’s exciting, and if we can get competitions. We need to establish how players can follow
more players to play at this level, given those opportunities, I the right pathways to reach the national level. We really need
think we will grow the women’s game in Samoa,” she said. support in this space.”
Milo says the people of Samoa love rugby and hopes to see She adds: “Having the right pathways will help our women
more awareness and coverage for women: “Our country is a players grow. Sometimes, we get excited when we have a lot
proud country. When they know, they will support. We need of players coming in, but we don’t have the people to take
more media on our women’s game. There needs to be more care of them, look after their welfare, teaching and coaching
light shone upon our game. them the right rugby technique and skills that are needed at
“I think social media presence is huge and that’s going to the elite level.”
help us build our brand in Samoa. We need to use social media “A lot of girls fall short of reaching the national level
to let the public know that the Manusina are here. When we because they don’t have the right support at the grassroots
continue to shine light on some of our local players, that’s level. In order for us to have good players, we need to refine
going to build an impact on the younger girls playing back the grassroots level.
home,” said Milo. A specific highlight by Rowati was on coaching players from
Proudly representing the villages of Salani and Solosolo, different backgrounds. “It is about understanding the player.
Bella Milo offers encouragement to young women who one day We have to identify what works best for the player, what
dream to coach in rugby. opportunities they can pursue, and what kind of support is
“Continue to learn. Be courageous in this space. There are available. There’s no need to shoot for the moon when we
a lot of opportunities for female coaches out there. Be strong really don’t have the resources to do so. We must work within
in your coaching philosophy. Stay strong to your word and not our means with what we have.
sway when you have different personalities from different “Developing a female player is very different from a male
coaches. As a woman, it’s not easy for us but having a big player. We should understand that a female player also has
support network around you will help you serve your country. many responsibilities at home. We have other priorities
So continue to push through those barriers and boundaries.” beyond just training for rugby. It’s part of our culture, and
we must acknowledge that. This involves training our families
Tavaita Rowati (Fiji) to support the players, helping them understand how to best
“It is exciting for me to learn and grow in that environment build the player into the best version of themselves,” she
and to be part of that global rugby network where I can build said.
my connections and hopefully my leadership qualities as a

34 Islands Business, October 2024