Netball Tournament

Last weekend Adam and I both played in a netball tournament at Apia park. This was the grading round for the outdoor season that is about to start on the 19th July. We have 3 teams in our club, 2 girls and 1 men’s team (although that is debatable!) We are playing for Hyundai so our uniforms are blue and white! As it turns out Hyundai are the only club that have ex-pats, not that that bothered me but it was the first club I found. We have a nice mix of palagi and samoan people in the team/club. We have made some new friends which is great. I was a little disappointed with the uniform to be honest. Was hoping for some tropical design but alas no it’s pretty normal. I have put some pictures up on Flickr and one of them shows one of the men’s team outfits which is pretty snazzy with flowery shorts. I was hoping Adam would end up with something like this or something pink just to make his day! Some of the girls have actually managed to score ex-Samoa team dresses (from the World Champs etc) so they are looking pretty flash in those.

Anyway we turned up at 11.00am ready for our 5-6 games. The games were a bit spaced out throughout the day so we actually didn’t finish til about 7.00pm. By the time we either played or watched each other play though the day filled itself in nicely. Pretty knackering playing that many games in a day even if they were shorter than normal. We must be getting old! In the end the girls A team came 2nd and the boys 3rd. I have heard that we (girls) will probably be playing a shield match against one of the other teams who we bet during the tournament so who knows we may be able to take that off them. Shield matches might also be broadcast on TV so heck – better do my hair that day – famous in Samoa!!

So it was a pretty entertaining day. There were Fafa’s everywhere and boy are they full on. They take the game very seriously. They had us all in stitches with one of the games with their little comments to each other and the ref and also their pushing and shoving and the indignant facial expressions – “Who me?”! Bad news is that I have been roped into umpiring when the season gets started and I think it’s the Fafa’s I’m going to have to try and keep control of!! We have learnt a thing or 2 about the Fafa’s. Some are very feminine, limp wrists and all. Others are very ‘manly’ but with lovely complexions, makeup and flowers in their hair. Others just seem to be cross dressing – and that can be all wrong especially when the beer gut hangs out below the orange crop top with shoe string straps and lace! Seems though that none of that matters when there’s a game of netball to play and a ball to be got by whatever means – rucking if necessary! Limp wrists out the window then.