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Netball was first introduced to Samoa through schools by an order of Catholic nuns.
The Samoa Netball Association was set up in the late 1950s when the game was played as a nine a side event. Samoa became a member of IFNA in 1987 and first entered the IFNA World Netball Championships in 1991 in Sydney where the team ranked 8th. Netball is now played at primary, secondary and club levels by both men and women.
Netball in Samoa continues to grow and has more players than any other sport in Samoa. However, it lags behind rugby as the main and publicly supported sports code. Netball needs a stable and secure financial base if it is to survive as a major sports code in Samoa.
Current Executive members are all volunteers. The President Noumea Simi is a senior public service executive and has been in office for 16 years. Vice Presidents are Beverley Barlow and Musi Opalani, both private sector employees who have supported Netball for over two decades. The Secretary is Louise Mataia, a university lecturer and the Treasurer is Sinatala Masoe, a business woman.
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