Tonga Tala have secured qualification to be invited to the 2027 Netball World Cup in Sydney after maintaining their unbeaten run at the Oceania qualifiers in Nukuʻalofa.
Tonga booked their place with one match still remaining after defeating Fiji Pearls 72-60 at the Tonga High School Indoor Stadium on Thursday.
It was Tonga’s third consecutive victory at the tournament, following an 81-55 opening win over the Cook Islands and a commanding 71-47 victory over Papua New Guinea.
The result means Tonga have secured one of the two Oceania qualifying places available for the World Cup.
World Netball has confirmed that the top two teams at the Oceania qualifier will be invited to compete at the 2027 tournament.
Against Fiji, Tonga faced an early challenge as the Pearls took the lead after the first quarter, before the Tala fought their way back into the contest.
Tonga held a narrow 33-30 halftime advantage before pulling away to complete the 12-goal victory.
The qualification continues Tonga Tala’s rise as a force in international netball.
Tonga entered the Oceania tournament ranked seventh in the world, with the qualifiers being staged on home soil in Nukuʻalofa.
The Tala still have one match remaining, against Samoa on Friday evening.
The Netball World Cup Sydney 2027 will be held in Australia from 25 August to 5 September 2027, bringing together 16 teams from around the world.
