Speaking at the International Sport Summit and Think Tank hosted by Sport Inclusion Australia in Brisbane, Ms Rapilla said the Pacific must move “beyond symbolic participation and into strategic leadership” to make Brisbane 2032 truly a Games for Oceania.

“The Pacific must not be a footnote in the Brisbane story — it must be a feature,” Rapilla said.

“Brisbane 2032 offers us more than proximity; it offers us possibility. We must meet this moment with purpose, unity and Pacific resilience.”

Highlighting ONOC’s “Home Games Advantage”

Ms Rapilla outlined ONOC’s flagship regional initiative — the Home Games Advantage, launched in 2022 — as the cornerstone of a shared vision to embed Pacific participation and legacy in the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The programme, developed in partnership with the Brisbane 2032 Organising Committee and the Australian Olympic Committee, seeks to ensure the Games’ benefits extend beyond Brisbane and Queensland to all of Oceania.

“We are refining priorities with our partners to ensure Pacific athletes, coaches, administrators and communities fully share in the legacies of Brisbane 2032,” she said.

“It’s about inclusion that is lived, not just spoken — participation that is led, not merely invited.”

Disability Inclusion and Para Sport Development

Reflecting on her experience leading the Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee, Rapilla emphasised the transformative potential of disability inclusion in sport. She highlighted the Memorandum of Understanding between ONOC and the Oceania Paralympic Committee (OPC) aimed at creating “An Inclusive Oceania through Para Sport.”

“The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games saw the largest ever number of Pacific Paralympians,” she noted.

“Our collective ambition is for all 17 nations of Oceania to be represented at the Brisbane 2032 Paralympic Games — ensuring no one is left behind.”

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Sport for Sustainable Development

As Chair of the IOC’s Olympism365 Commission, Rapilla also underscored sport’s role as an “important enabler of sustainable development,” linking ONOC’s Home Games Advantage strategy to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

She cited successful Pacific initiatives such as:

• Volley4Change (Vanuatu) – advancing gender equality and disability inclusion;
• Play for Equity small grants fund – supporting community projects using sport to promote justice and inclusion;
• Oceania Impact Network – a partnership among ONOC, UN Women, the Australian Government’s Team Up programme and the IOC to build safer, more equitable sporting environments.

“Sport is not just about medals — it is a platform for gender justice, health, education, and peace,” Rapilla said.

“Olympism365 and ONOC’s Home Games Advantage are working hand-in-hand to advance the SDGs in the Pacific.”

Women in Sport: A Pacific Leadership Story

Rapilla highlighted Oceania’s strong progress toward gender equality in sport, noting that Oceania led all continents in women’s participation and leadership at the Paris 2024 Games.

She celebrated the historic election of four women to the ONOC Executive Board — President Baklai Temengil (Palau), Vice President Emma Waiwai (Papua New Guinea), and Members Cathy Wong (Fiji) and Maureen Tuimaleali’ifano (Samoa) — describing it as “a new era of inclusive leadership.”

“These are not symbolic appointments. They reflect real talent and earned leadership,” Rapilla said.

“When women lead, teams flourish, communities strengthen, and sport mirrors society’s best potential.”

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A Call to Action for the Pacific

Closing her address, Rapilla echoed the call made by ONOC President Baklai Temengil in July marking seven years to the Brisbane Games:

“We must stop waiting to be included and start moving to co-create. The world is watching. Australia is listening. And the Games are coming to our doorstep.” Rapilla concluded,

“Legacy is not something you are given — it is something you design, protect and deliver. The Pacific must act now, align efforts and keep the fire alive for a decade of lasting impact.”