VCA names squad for PacificAus Sports Women’s Invitational T20

Jun 11, 2025 | Sports | 0

The Vanuatu Cricket Association (VCA) has announced the women’s national team selected to represent Vanuatu at the PacificAus Sports Invitational T20 Tournament, to be held in Papua New Guinea (PNG) from June 15 to 21 2025.

The Invitational features four teams: hosts PNG (ranked 13th), Samoa (44th), an Australian Indigenous XI, and Vanuatu, currently the nation’s highest-ranked sporting team at No. 32 in the world.

The event, supported by the Australian Government’s PacificAus Sports program, coincides with PNG’s 50th independence celebrations and provides vital match preparation ahead of September’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup EAP Qualifier in Fiji.

Team officials include Joshua Rasu as Head Coach, Mary-Eastelle Mahuk as Team Manager and the High Performance Manager Chris Laffan.

High Performance Manage Laffan said in a statement that the tournament provides a valuable platform for both development and benchmarking.

“We’re very grateful to be invited to the PacificAus Sports Invitational in Port Moresby. It’s another opportunity for our women’s team to prepare for the World Cup Qualifier in Fiji, but also to test ourselves against quality opposition,” he said.

“From the Australian Indigenous team to 13th ranked PNG and Samoa—who’ve put in strong performances against us recently—as a coaching group we’re really excited to be challenged and continue lifting our standards.”

Among the new faces is 14-year-old Anna Griffin from Port Vila International School, a standout product of the VCA’s school-to-club pathway and a current member of the Interchange Cricket Academy.

Griffin, who already holds a national under-age long jumping record, critically turns 15 on the first day of the tournament – just qualifying within the minimum age allowed under the International Cricket Council’s eligibility criteria.

“Anna is a player we identified through our North Efate and PVIS development link. Her athleticism is impressive, but it’s her attitude, problem-solving ability and desire to improve that stood out,” Laffan added.

“She’s still very much a work in progress, but she’s earned her place and is definitely one to watch for the future.”

Long-standing skipper Selina Solman who has been working in Australia has made herself unavailable for this tour and as such star all-rounder Rachel Andrew will make her captaincy debut.

The team departs for Port Moresby on Thursday, and will play Samoa in their first match on Sunday.

SOURCE: VANUATU DAILY POST

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Dr Damutalau said most HPV infections clear naturally, but some remain and can increase the risk of cervical cancer. He said about 90 per cent of cervical cancers are linked to HPV, which is why vaccination and early screening are important. SOURCE: VANUATU DAILY POST

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Vanuatu’s education crisis a ‘national disaster’ – Pikinini Playtime CEO August 12, 2026
Pikinini Playtime founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tony Batten has described Vanuatu’s education situation as a “national disaster”, warning that poor literacy outcomes among children could affect the country’s future development. Speaking during an interview on Kava Mo Kajap, Mr. Batten said reports that around 70 per cent of children are unable to read and write at the expected level should be treated as a serious national concern. “I think it is a national disaster, like a hurricane or an earthquake,” Mr. Batten said. He said Vanuatu’s greatest resource is not its land or natural resources, but its people, and education is the foundation needed to develop that human resource. “Human resources are the number one resource for Vanuatu,” he said. Mr. Batten said countries that have successfully moved from being less developed to more advanced economies have done so by investing heavily in education and building a skilled population. However, he said Vanuatu’s current education results remain a major concern despite the country spending a significant amount of its national budget on education. “Vanuatu gives a lot of money per capita into education, but the results are still among the lowest in the Pacific,” he said. The Pikinini Playtime founder said the challenge is not only about funding but about how the education system delivers results. He questioned why many students continue to leave school without basic reading and writing skills despite years spent in classrooms. Mr. Batten said the impact of poor education outcomes can also be seen in the country’s workforce, where businesses often recruit skilled workers from overseas to fill positions. “We bring people from the Philippines and other countries to do accounting, bookkeeping, management, building and supervisory work, but many ni-Vanuatu are not able to take those opportunities because they do not have the basic education,” he said. He said the literacy issue must be addressed early because children who fail to develop strong reading skills in their early years often struggle throughout their education journey. Mr. Batten also raised concerns about the value placed on education within the system. He said teacher absenteeism, weak accountability and a lack of support for educators contribute to children losing confidence in learning. “When children see that school is not important, they begin to believe they don’t need school,” he said. Mr. Batten acknowledged that many teachers are working under difficult conditions but said the system needs stronger support, training and leadership to improve outcomes. He believes improving education requires everyone involved — government, schools, teachers, principals and parents — to work together. “Children are smart. They have the ability. But they need the right support and the right opportunities,” he said. Mr. Batten said addressing literacy must become a national priority because the future of Vanuatu depends on the quality of education provided to today’s children. SOURCE: VANUATU DAILY POST

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