New Zealand Archers Head For The XVII Pacific Games

Archery NZ has selected two archers and a coach/manager to travel to the XVII Pacific Games four yearly multisport event in Honiara in the Solomon Islands and they’re all very excited.

World Archery Development Officer and Coach/Manager of the New Zealand team is double sporting international Cushla Matheson who spoke of ‘nervous excitement’ as the team prepared to head off on this extraordinary adventure. ‘These two very happy athletes have prepared well and are excited to be getting a rare multisport experience in such an exotic location. The event itself is a fantastic legacy for the Solomon Islands with all the resources that have been put place to see it achieved’. Cushla adds that ‘the athletes have had great support from NZOC and also from Archery NZ.’

Both young athletes are fresh from multi-medal winning success at the World Archery Oceania Championships earlier this year and Nuala Edmundson can proudly add the Trans-Tasman Challenge and the World Archery Youth World Championships in Limerick, Ireland to her resume, while teammate Finn Matheson shot a personal best at the World Archery Asia Cup #3 event in Singapore in June and has recent World Cup and Youth World Champs experience as well.

Finn admitted to being ‘a bit excited and a little bit anxious’ as ‘this is a big step on the pathway to achieving my goals. It’s my first multi-sport event and I’m really looking forward to the Opening Ceremony and catching up with friends, but mostly I just want to start shooting arrows on the range.’

Nuala is also nervous, but in a good way. ‘I'm super excited to be travelling to the Solomon Islands for the Pac Games. This is my first international selection as an adult, and I hope to do New Zealand proud!’

Archery was added as a sport in 1971 and has been included eight times since. This year there are twenty-four sports taking part, with fourteen countries from across the Pacific competing in the archery competition.

The archery schedule is as follows:

Sunday 19th November 2023 - Opening Ceremony. Solomon Islands National Stadium.

Tuesday 21st November 2023 – Pacific Games qualification and Mixed Team elimination.

Wednesday 22nd November 2023 - CGT Mixed Teams Qualification for Paris 2024.

Thursday 23rd November 2023 – Pacific Games Individual Matchplay Elimination.

Friday 24th November 2023 – Pacific Games Mixed Team and Individual Matchplay Finals.

Winners of the Mixed Team CGQ competition win a place for their country for Paris 2024.

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