AUSSIE Rules (AFL) Fiji has started building the national side for a likely friendly match against New Zealand later in the year.
The newly formed sporting body is running a weekly 9s club competition every Sunday at Albert Park in Suva in their bid to secure players to form a national side to take on the Kiwis.
AFL Fiji spokesperson Lupe Wolfgramm said they had two teams competing since last month.
Wolgramm said they were hoping to get more teams in the upcoming rounds to raise the standard of the competition.
She said the Raiwaqa Bulldogs, City Storms and Cunningham Red Hills were part of the 9s competition last year and were expected to join this year’s event soon.
“We have been running this competition for almost a month now and at the moment we have Nausori Delta Blues and Suva City Swans teams competing,” she said.
“We have a friendly encounter lined-up against New Zealand and the purpose of this weekly competition is to get a national team for the games against NZ.”
The New Zealand team will be touring the country sometimes this year.
Wolfgramm said they had yet to confirm the dates of the friendly international matches.
She said they have also planned to go out to secondary schools and run clinics.