29 Nov 2012

Sport: Vanuatu and Australia to headline Oceania beach volleyball championships

11:31 am on 29 November 2012

The growing rivalry between Vanuatu and Australia is expected to headline the Oceania Beach Volleyball Championships, which gets underway in Tahiti today.

The Australian women are the top-ranked team at the event, and are defending champions after beating Vanuatu in last years gold medal match.

But 44th-ranked Vanuatu has the recent edge, and the President of their national federation, Debbie Masaufakalo, says it should be a great contest.

"The last event in the World tour in Thailand, Vanuatu beat Australia pool in the pool matches, and then in the Asian championships Vanuatu beat Australia again in the semi-finals. We are two up on them now, the girls are looking great and they are getting better every week."

Debbie Masaufakalo.