Congratulations to Paige Cross on representing Samoa and finishing fifth in the Pacific.

OHS student Paige Cross has returned from the Solomon Islands after representing Samoa at the OFC U16 Women’s Championship 2026. Samoa played four matches against some of the strongest teams in the Pacific region, finishing the tournament in fifth place. Samoa finished its campaign strongly with a 2–0 victory over the Solomon Islands at the National Stadium in Honiara. 

While the team missed qualification for next year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, Paige described representing Samoa at this level as a highlight of her football journey. “It was really exciting playing in a stadium for the first time and representing my country,” Paige said. She particularly enjoyed meeting local supporters, with many young girls attending the team’s training sessions and matches during the tournament.

The experience has given Paige another opportunity to develop her football at international level. She hopes to continue progressing and earn further selection for Samoa in the future. We are very proud of Paige and her achievement representing Samoa on the international stage.