Basketball: Transtasman interest booms

The Tall Blacks are at last being taken seriously by Australia, who are pursuing a Bledisloe Cup-like transtasman series and an annual Four Nations tournament.

Australia's chief executive, Scott Derwin, finished two days of meetings with his New Zealand counterpart, David Crocker, at the weekend.

He returned to Australia wanting to have New Zealand involved in at least two annual international series from next year.

The first is a yearly three-test series between the Tall Blacks and Boomers in a competition similar to rugby's Bledisloe Cup.

Derwin also wants to launch an annual four-nation tournament involving the Boomers, Tall Blacks, China and one other Asian country.

The Australian change in attitude to New Zealand basketball appears to have been prompted by Australia's loss last year in the world championship qualifying series.

"It certainly makes it a lot easier from our point of view," Derwin said. "To be frank, there certainly were people in Australia before last year who would have discounted any regular competition against New Zealand, but I think the sceptics have been put to bed by those results.

"And that gives us the opportunity to put in place a regular programme."

Derwin did not discount the possibility of a New Zealand team playing in the Australian national league competition.

- NZPA