Record number of basketball teams enter secondary school tournaments

A record number of secondary-school teams have entered Basketball New Zealands secondary schools tournaments this year, as these annual competitions held throughout the country tip-off from this Saturday.

Junior teams will compete for regional titles, while senior teams will play in the Schick Premierships, which are qualification tournaments for the major national title called the Schick Championships (formerly known as the Basketball New Zealand Secondary Schools National Championships).

The number of entries is another indication that basketball is continuing to thrive in New Zealand. The number of school basketball teams playing in the junior events and the senior Schick Premierships (excluding the Schick Championships) has increased by 38 teams from last year. In 2016, there were 314 school teams that competed across all Premierships and the junior secondary-school tournaments. This year that figure has risen to 352 teams, made up for 224 senior secondary-school Premiership teams plus 128 junior secondary-school teams.

Senior Tournaments:

The senior competitions are separated into the A events and AA events. The A competition is for schools that have a roll of less than 600 pupils for co-ed schools, or less than 300 for single-gender schools. The AA competition is for schools that have a roll of over 600, or more than 300 for single-gender schools.

AA EVENTS

- AA ZONE 1 PREMIERSHIP: 6 - 9 September, North Shore Events Centre & AUT North Shore, Auckland. Hosted by Harbour Basketball. The top seven teams in each gender will qualify for the Schick Championships. (Zone 1 is made up of schools throughout the Northland and the great Auckland regions).

- AA ZONE 2 PREMIERSHIP: 5 - 8 September, ASB Arena and Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre, Tauranga. Hosted by Tauranga City Basketball Association. The top five teams in each gender will qualify for the Schick Championships. (Zone 2 is made up of schools throughout the Waikato, King Country, Bay of Plenty and East Coast regions).

- AA ZONE 3 PREMIERSHIP: 6 - 9 September, Central Energy Trusts Manawatu, Palmerston North. Hosted by Basketball Manawatu. The top six teams from each gender will qualify for the Schick Championships. (Zone 3 is made up of schools throughout the Hawkes Bay, Wairarapa, Taranaki, Manawatu and great Wellington regions).

- AA ZONE 4 PREMIERSHIP: 6 - 9 September, The Edgar Centre, Dunedin. Hosted by Basketball Otago. The top six teams in each gender will qualify for the Schick Championships. (Zone 4 is made up of schools throughout the South Island).

A EVENTS

- A NORTH ISLAND PREMIERSHIPS: 6 - 8 September, ASB Arena, Tauranga. Hosted by Tauranga City Basketball Association. The top seven schools in each gender will qualify for the Schick Championships.

- A SOUTH ISLAND PREMIERSHIPS - BOYS: 6 - 9 September, Stadium 2000, Blenheim. The top five schools in each gender qualify for the Schick Championships.

- A SOUTH ISLAND PREMIERSHIPS - GIRLS: 6 - 9 September, Solid Energy Centre, Westport. Hosted by Buller Basketball Association. The top five schools in each gender qualify for the Schick Championships.

NORTHERN CUP: Tournament Dates: 6 - 8 September, Bruce Pulman Arena, Papakura, Auckland. Hosted by Auckland Basketball Services.

The Northern Cup was launched in 2016 and was the first standalone non-qualifying basketball tournament available to schools. The participation numbers for this event has also increased this year. In 2016, ten boys teams and four girls teams from Auckland played in the two day tournament. In 2017, there will be 19 boys teams and five girls teams. The majority of these teams are from Auckland schools, but there are also teams from Dunedin, Hamilton and Tauranga.

Junior Tournaments next week:

- JUNIOR ZONE 1 & 2: 2 - 5 September, Bruce Pulman Arena (Papakura) and Franklin Leisure Centre (Pukekohe), Auckland. Hosted by Auckland Basketball Services.

- JUNIOR ZONE 3: 2 - 5 September, TSB Arena and New Plymouth Boys High School, New Plymouth. Hosted by New Plymouth Basketball Association.

- JUNIOR ZONE 4: 2 - 5 September, EA Networks Centre & Basketball Mid Canterbury Stadium, Ashburton. Hosted by Basketball Mid Canterbury.

The draws and results will be available through the Basketball New Zealand Sports TG site from this weekend.

The Schick Championships will be held in Palmerston North on 2 - 7 October. Maori TV will livestream 24 games on www.maoritelevsion.com - four games per day.

- This story has been automatically published using a media release from Basketball New Zealand