Former national women’s cricket player and captain, Ruci Muriyalo is poised to create history as the first Fijian woman to officiate as an umpire in the upcoming Pacific Cup in Auckland, New Zealand.
Transitioning from her 13-year playing career, including a swansong in Vanuatu at the ICC Women’s T20 East Asia Pacific World Cup qualifier last year, the 37 year old embraces this new challenge in her cricket journey.
Looking forward to her umpiring debut, Muriyalo said, “I look forward to the tournament as it will be the first time for me to officiate, and I will look forward to learning as much as I can from this experience.”
The Pacific Cup, featuring teams from Cook Islands, Fiji, New Zealand Maori, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, and Vanuatu, presents a unique opportunity for Muriyalo.
“Having played against most of the players from these teams and made friends over the past 13 years, it will be a challenge to officiate their games. But I will uphold the standards and responsibilities of an umpire,” she shared.
Prior to the tournament, Muriyalo and High-Performance Manager Tomasi Nawaciono will participate in an ICC Umpire Tutor course to become accredited ICC Tutors.
This training will enable them to conduct the ICC Level 1 Umpire Course in Fiji, aligning with Cricket Fiji’s objective of having at least 50% of accredited local umpires as women by 2026.
Muriyalo’s ground-breaking involvement not only adds a significant chapter to her personal journey but also contributes to the broader goal of fostering diversity and inclusivity in local cricket officiating.
Her determination and leadership will also set a positive precedent for aspiring women umpires in Fiji and around the region.
The Pacific Cup will run from 17 to 21 January 2024.
