Basketball: Tall Blacks target England for tests

WELLINGTON - England, Japan and the Netherlands could play in New Zealand to help the Tall Blacks' prepare for their Olympic Games basketball debut now that Canada's proposed tour is off.

Of the three countries, Basketball New Zealand is closest to luring England here, possibly for a four-game test series next month and in July.

The England federation are trying to fit the tour in after an international tournament in Cairo early next month.

Basketball NZ general manager David Crocker has been negotiating with several potential New Zealand backers who would need to partly fund the England tour.

He has also extended invitations to the Netherlands and both the Japanese men's and women's teams about possible tours.

It had been hoped that the Canadian men would come here after the pre-Olympic "Slam Down Under" tournament in Sydney next month, but they had already finalised their schedule.

The Canadian women were also keen to visit but that tour fell through when Basketball NZ were not able to arrange suitable return flights to Vancouver.

"They go straight into a camp when they get home so they had to pull the pin on it," Mr Crocker said.

However, the Tall Ferns have agreed to play the Canadian women in an "unofficial" test at the Sydney Olympic Village after competing in a tournament at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra from August 24 to September 10.

New Zealand's opponents there will be Brazil, ACT, Australian junior and Institute women's teams and an ACT men's line-up.

The Tall Ferns have also had their test series against Slovakia confirmed, with games in Tauranga (June 8), Hamilton (June 9) and North Shore (June 10).

The Tall Ferns are hopeful that France may also tour here along with the Japanese women.

Keith Mair's Tall Blacks will play Canada, Russia and Australia at the pre-Olympic tournament in Sydney.

They have also been invited back to the William Jones Cup at Taipei in July.

A selection camp will be held at Porirua from May 24 with a 20-man squad to be chosen for a pre-Olympic camp in Nelson in early June.

- NZPA