18-year-old Sainiana Vateitei has made her international refereeing debut at the 17th Pacific Games which is currently underway in the Solomon Islands.
Vateitei, together with experienced Fiji National Rugby League (FNRL) referees Kinivuai Qumivutia and Filipe Tabuya are the country’s only three match officials appointed for the Rugby 9’s competition.
The trio are among 24 match officials selected to officiate at the Pacific Games and will join another elite match official squad who will also feature in next year’s Pacific Championships in Lautoka.
Vateitei is a Year 13 student of Ballantine Memorial Secondary School and attained her Level 3 Rugby refereeing license from the Queensland Rugby League last month.
FNRL interim chief executive Don Natabe confirmed that Vateitei is the youngest FNRL female referee to ever officiate at the Pacific Games.
Natabe also confirmed that since the past three years, Vateitei has been officiating in the domestic FNRLW and Rugby 9s competition.
Meanwhile, Qumivutia and Tabuya have officiated at the previous Pacific Games in Samoa and Papua New Guinea.
