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Samoa and Tonga book their tickets to Sydney 2027
The Tonga Tala and Samoa Tifa Moana will represent Oceania at the Netball World Cup Sydney 2027, after five Pacific nations went head to head in Nukuʻalofa.
For the first time, Tonga hosted the Oceania Netball World Cup Qualifier, welcoming the Cook Islands, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Samoa to the Tonga High School Indoor Stadium from 14 to 18 September 2026.
Across five days of round-robin netball, with two World Cup places at stake, every team brought pride, passion and real quality to the court. The result was one of the most competitive qualifiers our region has seen.
Salote Sisifa, President, Oceania Netball Federation and CEO Tonga Netball Association, acknowledged the significance of Tonga hosting the qualifiers for the first time, providing the opportunity for the community to be able to see these high performing netball players playing here in Tonga is a dream come true.
Tala deliver on home court
Tonga came into the tournament ranked seventh in the world, with the expectations of a home crowd behind them. They opened with an 81-55 win over the Cook Islands, followed by a win over the PNG Pepes.
Their qualification came against Fiji in a tight contest. The Pearls pushed hard early, but the Tala found their rhythm to win 72-60 and secure Tonga's second World Cup appearance.
Tonga finished the tournament unbeaten, closing out with a win over Samoa in front of a packed and passionate crowd. 71 - 53
Tifa Moana back on the world stage
After missing the 2023 Netball World Cup, Samoa arrived in Nukuʻalofa with a rebuilt squad and a clear purpose. Several players made their international debuts during the week.
Samoa opened with a 72-56 win over Papua New Guinea and secured qualification with a composed 72-50 victory over the Cook Islands, before meeting Tonga in the final match of the tournament.
Fiji Pearls show their fight
Under new head coach Michelle Parsons, the Pearls opened with a win over the Cook Islands and pushed both qualifiers hard. They finished strongly with a win over the PNG Pepes and leave Tonga with a foundation to build on.
PNG Pepes building momentum
The Pepes continue to grow, with the return of a national league in Port Moresby giving more players regular, quality matchplay. Head coach Lua Rikis and her team gained valuable experience against tough opposition all week.
Cook Islands invest in the future
The Cook Islands brought a young squad, many playing their first international tournament. Every match gave these emerging athletes court time and lessons that will serve the programme well in the years ahead.
Growing capability off the court
The qualifier also developed people behind the scenes. Eight aspiring bench officials from participating nations trained throughout the tournament, building skills they will take home to strengthen netball in their own countries.
Mālō ʻaupito to our partners
Oceania Netball thanks the Government of Tonga through the Ministry of Internal Affairs Sports Division, the Tonga Netball Association, PacificAus Sports, World Netball, the Tonga Sports Association and National Olympic Committee, the Tonga Broadcasting Commission, and our member associations: Netball Cook Islands, Netball Fiji, Netball PNG and Netball Samoa.
A special thank you to the people of Tonga for the warmth and hospitality shown to the whole Oceania netball family.
Next stop: Sydney
Congratulations to the Tala and the Tifa Moana who will join the Silver Ferns from New Zealand. You carry the hopes of the whole region to the world's biggest netball stage next year.
Watch match replays on NetballPass. Full results are available on World Netball.