THE Burraneer Rays, one of Australia’s premier community women’s rugby 7s teams, have arrived in Honiara for a weeklong joint training camp with the Solomon Islands national women’s team. The training camp will be followed by a mini 7s tournament held this Thursday at Town Ground.
The training camp will provide a significant boost for the Solomon Islands team preparations ahead of the Oceania 7s and Pacific Games in November. The Burraneer Rays, who undertook additional fundraising in their local Sydney community to support the visit to Honiara, will also participate in various community activities during their stay, including holding rugby clinics with local schools and visiting places of cultural interest.
As part of the growing partnership between Solomon Islands Rugby Union Federation (SIRUF) and Rugby Australia, and as an additional boon for the country’s Games preparation, Australian sevens coach Chris Nay has also been appointed to provide technical assistance to SIRUF. Nay will work closely with the national teams and coaches at the Solomon Islands National Institute of Sport.
The Burraneer Ray’s visit to Honiara and the appointment of Chris Nay have been made possible by the Australian Government’s elite sport program PacificAus Sports, which funds the partnership between SIRUF and RugbyAU, and builds on Australia’s ongoing support for Solomon Islands ahead of the Pacific Games.
Australian High Commissioner to Solomon Islands, Rod Hilton commented, “Australia is a proud supporter of the 2023 Pacific Games, the first to be hosted by Solomon Islands. Through PacificAus Sports, Australia has been helping train and equip athletes across the region ahead of the Games. This joint training camp provides not only a great platform for tournament preparation, but also an invaluable opportunity for cultural exchange between Australia and Solomon Islands”.
Rugby Australia CEO, Phil Waugh, reflected on this growing rugby partnership: “The opportunity to bring our teams together to live, train, and play some exciting rugby this week will provide a wonderful chance for players from both sides to learn from one another and gain valuable match experience ahead of the Pacific Games”.
AHC PRESS
