World Footy News

AFL Fiji has started a school holiday footy clinic in Albert Park, Suva, with the aim of increasing female participation in the game ahead of next year’s International Cup.

Despite low turnout on the first few days, as word has spread, more and more girls have begun turning up to the training sessions, many of them with experience playing other sports, such as rugby.

The boys also have a holiday clinic and some of them are staying on to help the senior players organise the girls’ training too.

AFL Fiji’s Lupe Wolfgramm told the Fiji Times that the school program to introduce the sport to women started in mid-April, adding that the response was overwhelming. On the back of their success in the Western Division, they are now turning their attention to Suva.

If the recruitment and training continues to go well, Wolfgramm says she would like to try the girls out in a game situation, possibly a women’s exhibition match during the Oceania Cup in December.

Ultimately she hopes to recruit over 25 women and create a national women’s team to participate in the International Cup. 5 women’s teams competed at IC11 and since then many other countries have talked about starting their own women’s competition, and Wolfgramm also feels the event would be a good exposure for the Fiji girls. 

The training at Albert Park is ongoing and runs from 4-6 pm. Anyone aged 16+ is welcome and participants are encouraged to bring friends along. For more information, please visit the AFL Fiji Facebook page.

More information about the AFL Fiji school clinic programme can be found on the Fiji Times article.