26 Mar 2018

Sport: Fiji Pearls take positives from heavy defeats

11:54 am on 26 March 2018

The coach of the Fiji netball team says losses to Jamaica, Malawi and New Zealand last week were necessary preparation for the upcoming Commonwealth Games.

The Pearls finished last in the four-team Taini Jamison Trophy following Saturday's 78-46 defeat by Malawi in the playoff for third place.

The Fiji Pearls are building towards the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

The Fiji Pearls are building towards the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Photo: Fiji Netball

Despite the result, head coach Vicki Wilson said the tournament was good preparation for next month's Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, where the Pearls face a daunting task in pool play.

"So when you're ranked down at number 12 [in the world] you've got all those teams who are ranked higher and they're ranked higher for a reason," she said.

"There's a couple of key games that we are targeting, where we will be nice and competitive and so we just have to make sure that we're at our best when we play those games.

"But it certainly is tough when you play Australia, South Africa and Jamaica."

Fiji, who will also face Northern Ireland and Barbados in pool play, are competing at the Commonwealth Games for the first time since 2006 and Vicki Wilson said the tournament will help the Pearls build up to April's Oceania Championships, which double as qualification for the 2019 World Cup.

Fiji netball coach Vicki Wilson.

Fiji netball coach Vicki Wilson. Photo: Netball Fiji