History in the making for women’s sport in Vanuatu – that’s how the Stanthorpe-based members of the ni-Vanuatu women’s cricket team view their upcoming appearance in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifying tournament starting next week in the United Arab Emirates.
The top two teams in the tournament will join Australia, South Africa, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, West Indies and Pakistan for the 2024 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September and October of 2024.
Star batter Rachel Andrews said the tournament, which runs from 25 April through to 8 May, said she hoped the team’s effort would be “inspirational for other female athletes”.
“This is a history in the making moment for women’s sport in Vanuatu. We want to be an example to show how women can achieve when given opportunities,” she said.
“We have worked hard to get to this point but have faith in each other to do our best and have fun,” she said.
Since late 2023, eight members of the team have been based in Stanthorpe, helping to fill labour shortages at a local nursery as part of the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme.
The team has had access to training facilities and the flexibility to take leave for international tournaments as part of a partnership between the Vanuatu Cricket Association, the Vanuatu Department of Labour and PALM scheme approved employer, ‘iComply’.
Team members have also been invited to play in the Stanthorpe cricket competition on the weekends to make up numbers for any team short on players -several playing in the winning side.
Andrew, who recently became the first female ni-Vanuatu cricketer to score a century, said that continuing to play cricket has given the team a sense of familiarity to help them ease into Australian life.
“We have received such a big reception from the locals, whether it’s young kids telling us they are inspired after watching us play on the weekends, or people approaching us on the street for a chat, we feel comfortable and accepted in the Stanthorpe community,” she said.
Captain Selina Solman said that the opportunity to work in Australia has not only allowed team members to work towards their financial goals but also supported their careers as professional athletes.
“Working on the PALM scheme has allowed me to support myself financially and to help my mum, who lives alone and has needed to renovate her house for some time.
“In Vanuatu, we do not have access to play on turf wickets which are used in international tournaments. Half of our team have never played test cricket, so the timing has been perfect for us to come to Australia to get this experience before we head to Abu Dhabi,” said Selina.
The current squad are a force to be reckoned with after their performance at the Women’s East Asia-Pacific Qualifier in September 2023, where the team stunned favourites Papua New Guinea, before going through undefeated to become regional champions for the first time since making their international debut 11 years prior.
However, the team’s future was uncertain just 12 months ago as they faced separation in the lead-up to both the Pacific Cup and Global Qualifiers, with some members receiving job offers in Australia on the PALM scheme and others being recruited for the Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme in New Zealand.
IComply Chief Executive Officer Rodney Prestia, said that efforts to keep the team together made perfect sense from an employer’s perspective.
“These athletes bring the same structure and goal-oriented mindset from their sporting careers to the workplace and provide employers with a reliable and productive workforce,” he said.
“It’s an opportunity for them to stay match fit for when national duty calls, but also encourages them to utilise their time wisely and maintain healthy and balanced lifestyles.”
The team hope that their experience will encourage more elite athletes to earn income through the PALM scheme while continuing their sporting development in Australia.
“When employers can accommodate athletes to come to Australia without abandoning their sporting commitments, it’s a real win-win for everyone,” Selina said.
The Vanuatu team start the qualifying competition on 26 April against Zimbabwe in the UAE, playing the Netherlands on 27 April before taking on Ireland on 2 May for places in the competition finals to be held over the following week.
