Growing up in Fiji, sport was always a part of life for Finau Vulivuli.
Local football games brought everyone together — family, neighbours and friends.
In Finau's home, the talent pool ran especially deep.
She and her brothers, Thomas and Albert, shared a natural athleticism, a passion for team sports and a competitive streak.
Older brother Thomas represented Fiji in football (soccer) in various age groups and the national team.
Younger brother Albert went on to represent his country in rugby union and play professionally in France.
Finau not only played football for Fiji’s national team, she also became Fiji’s first female football referee.
From refereeing the men's finals locally, she was promoted to officiate at tournaments for the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC).
In 2008, she officiated the first-ever U17 FIFA Women's World Cup (WWC) in New Zealand and three more followed in 2010, 2012 and 2016 in Trinidad and Tobago, Azerbaijan and Jordan.
She refereed invitational games in Portugal, two U20 FIFA Women's World Cups as well as the FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany in 2011. In 2016, she was invited to two FIFA tournaments, the U17 WWC in Jordan and U20 WWC in Papua New Guinea.
Her accomplishments are yet to be matched by any other male or female football match official in Fiji.
From playing to taking centre stage
Like many girls of her generation, Finau's introduction to the game began on the sidelines of those neighbourhood games, watching her brothers and cousins play.
Soon enough, she and her female cousins were being called to join those neighbourhood games.
"My understanding and passion for the sport developed when I joined my brothers and cousins, especially when there were uneven numbers, and I would need to stand in as goalie," Finau recalled.
Her family and others in the community encouraged their daughters to be active and get involved in sport.
Finau also participated in athletics and netball, representing Nasinu Netball Association in 2002, while attending teacher's college.
After plenty of persistence and hard work, Finau earned a place in Fiji's national women's football team, where she stayed for two years and participated at the Pacific Games and Olympic Qualifiers.
It was during the 2004 Olympics' qualifying matches that she witnessed female referees for the first time, an image that would leave a lasting impression.
"It had never occurred to me that a woman could be a match official. We never had that nationally, or regionally, and this panel of match officials were brought in from the Asian confederation," she said.
It was around this time that the Fiji Football Federation launched a program requiring different districts to organise women's teams.
In 2005, Finau played a large role in organising local girls' teams.
This was in collaboration with a Peace Corps volunteer and lifelong friend Shennan Moisecheik, who also played state football for Arkansas in the United States.
"The stigma that football was a male-dominated sport was still there," Finau said.
A Mathematics and Science teacher at the time, Finau knew that sport could be used as a tool to break down barriers and impact change, especially in the rural areas.
"Organising a local female team to participate in the annual inter-district championship posed its own challenges," she said.
"It was easier to work within the school framework and extend the invitation to interested females within the district."
That was the start of the Savusvau women's football team.
While trying to find a supporter to buy football boots for her players, she was convinced to take part in a Fiji Football Association (FFA) Refereeing course that was being offered in town.
"As well as discussions on a possible sponsorship for the team's football boots, I was asked to participate in the two-day course," she said.
Finau and Shennan went on to excel in the program, catching the attention of FFA officials.
A month later, Finau was running the lines for one of the men's local tournaments, becoming Fiji's first female football referee.
Creating pathways for others
After an exciting career that took her to the top games in the world, she decided to hang up her whistle and focus on developing Fiji's next generation of women football referees.
She became an instructor, knowing that more young women would rise through the ranks to officiate at the highest level of competition.
"I knew that the next generation would reach it. There was no denying it."
Now a mother, Finau has a Bachelor of Commerce and is pursuing a Masters in Diplomacy and International Development.
Her path is leading her to sports commentating and roles in the sports-for-development consultancy space.
"I love the flexibility to work in this space, especially for national sporting bodies and international organisations like ChildFund Australia."
She firmly believes one must continue to learn and pursue opportunities, in order to be the best version of themselves.
Patricia Hizon has been a sports broadcaster in the Philippines for two decades, and the first female to anchor Philippine Basketball Association games. She's commentated on the Olympics, Asian Games and SEA Games and is now managing a career as a media executive.
She is a member of ABC International Development's Women in News and Sport Initiative, funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through the Team Up program.
