Kaiviti Silktails players will now have the opportunity to build their financial skills alongside their rugby league careers through a new programme with Westpac Fiji.
The initiative will see Westpac Fiji open bank accounts for all Silktails players and provide financial literacy training to players and staff.
Westpac Fiji says the training will cover practical areas such as budgeting, saving, financial planning and managing money, with the aim of giving players greater confidence in making financial decisions.
Kaiviti Silktails Rugby League Football Club Chairman Petero Civoniceva says the programme is about developing players as people, not only as athletes.
He says access to banking support and financial training will be an important part of preparing players for life both on and off the field.
The partnership will also extend to primary school students through the CatchPassProgram, with Westpac Fiji and the Kaiviti Silktails set to visit primary schools across Fiji.
The visits will combine rugby league activities with simple, age-appropriate financial education sessions to help children understand money and develop good financial habits from an early age.
Westpac Head of Corporate Affairs, Marketing and Community Rachel White says the partnership provides Westpac with a practical way to support young Fijians through sport and education.
She says the financial education component will give players practical skills that can benefit them now and in the future.
The partnership will also see Westpac sponsor the Monthly Westpac Values Clubman Award.
The financial literacy sessions form part of the broader Westpac Fiji and Kaiviti Silktails partnership, which was launched earlier this year.
Westpac Pacific’s Financial Literacy programme has been running since 2013 and has trained more than 100,000 people across schools, communities and businesses in Fiji and Papua New Guinea.
The free programme provides education, resources and tools covering areas such as budgeting, saving, financial planning, income and expenses, and money management at different stages of life.
Through the new partnership, Silktails players and young students will now have access to these skills as they develop both on and off the rugby league field.
