Back in May the Vanuatu Women’s Cricket team made history making the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifying tournament and matching it with some of the best in world – with more than a little help from farmers and cricketers in Stanthorpe.
Now three months later the group who brought eight of the team to Stanthorpe to work and play cricket, has been honoured by the Vanuatu Government.
The team’s future had been uncertain just 18 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.
Instead 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’ – who based them in Stanthorpe and worked with farmers and the local cricket community to support them.
IComply Chief Executive Officer Rodney Prestia, said that efforts to keep the team together made perfect sense from an employer’s perspective.
For his efforts Prestia received the Presidential Medal at a ceremony in Vanuatu a week ago but it’s an award that he says he could never have received without the people of Stanthorpe.
“It was the Presidential medal of honour, we’ve just come from the 44th Independence day in Vanuatu,” he said.
“The Vanuatu Government awarded me the medal for services to Vanuatu enriching lives through our Seasonal Work Sporting Dreams Program and also for services to sport in Vanuatu.
“It comes on the back of the success of the cricketers and our beach volleyballers who also made it all the way to the final Olympic Qualifier, they lost by one point in China against New Zealand and New Zealand went through to the Olympics and we missed out. Those girls were also down at Stanthorpe working at I Comply. It was really humbling when the Vanuatu Government reached out to me and said look you’re presence is requested in Port Vilia at the Presidential Palace on Independence Day. They didn’t tell me what for. It was a nice surprise, just to be invited to such a prestigious event was a nice surprise but to be awarded a Presidential Medal – to say I was humbled was a severe understatement.
“I don’t do what I do for medals, I do it because it gives me a hell of a buzz, I love seeing these guys and girls fulfilling potential and realise dreams but it was very humbling that the Vanuatu Government recognised that because I do make a very large personal financial sacrifice to get these guys around to events, to training, equipment. Particularly the cricketers cost me an arm and a leg in cricket bats and balls and uniforms and what you need to do to get them to get them to a professional level so it’s nice to be recognized for that.”
However, he said it was not just him and his staff that worked hard to help the athletes.
“It’s not just the sporting associations, it’s the farms that offer the employment, because that’s the first step,” he said.
“We’ve got to get them work and we’ve got to get them work with understanding farmers we’re really blessed at the moment where swimmer Wendy Charles is concerned that Rey and Nancy Bertinazzi at Bratasha Farm have agreed to take her on and finish at 2pm so she can get to the pool and train. Having farmers like Neville Bell and the family out at Red Jewel who supported the girls by allowing them time off to train but were also so interested in their success and journey and were there when we had all the games in Vanuatu. We’re pretty lucky that Neville Bell is a cricketing tragic out at Red Jewel that helped a lot as well. The farms play an important role but then you have the sporting associations, the Stanthorpe Cricket Club and now the Stanthorpe Swimming Club. Step One is the farms, step two is the associations and clubs and Step three is I Comply. It’s a real team effort to make this happen so while I’m humble to receive this medal, this medal is for everyone that has stepped up to the plate and provided a platform for these Pacific Islanders to succeed. These Pacific Island Sports people have untapped talent and potential and to get to come to a town like Stanthorpe that’s so welcoming, it makes their job so much easier.”
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