The draw for the upcoming National Tertiary 3×3 Championships – which sees the top men’s and women’s teams from each of New Zealand’s eight universities competing over two spectacular days – has been announced.
The National Tertiary 3×3 Championship heads to Palmerston North for the first time this year, with the tournament to be hosted by Massey University on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 May. This will be the sixth year the event has been run, since it was first held in 2016.
The championship is run by University and Tertiary Sport New Zealand (UTSNZ) in partnership with BBNZ, with the financial backing of Sport Manawatu and Palmerston North City Council through the Sports Event Partnership Fund.
The Men’s Grade will feature two pools of four teams, with Lincoln, Otago, Victoria and Massey universities making up Pool A and Canterbury, Auckland, AUT and Waikato competing in Pool B.
The University of Auckland captured the Men’s Grade last year, defeating Lincoln University in the grand finals.
In the Women’s Grade, Pool A will be made up of Lincoln, Canterbury, Victoria and AUT, while Auckland, Otago, Waikato and Massey will face off in Pool B.
Rosalia Samia was one of the Lincoln University players who fell to the University of Canterbury in last year’s Women’s Grade grand finals, so a redemptive win is on her mind in 2022.
“I’m really excited to return this year, after coming so close [to victory] last year – it definitely puts a bit of fuel on the fire to come back and try and snag a victory for myself and the girls,” says Samia.
“This is potentially my last year at Uni, so it’d be good to help get a win for Kate and Grace [two first-time 3×3 Tertiary players] and for teammate Lauryn [Hippolite].”
Samia, who is currently studying her postgrad in Environmental Management, says that playing in the 3×3 Tertiary champs is an important opportunity for her to be seen by prospective teams.
“For University students like myself, it’s a good chance to get seen by the regional 3×3 teams; it acts like a trial I guess. I really enjoy the 3×3 game and I want to see how much further I can go in this space.”
The National Tertiary 3×3 Championship is on this weekend, 14-15 May 2022, at the Massey University campus courts in Palmerston North. Spectators are welcome to attend, with Court 1 being Live Steamed on the Sky Sport Next YouTube channel over both days.
View the full schedule and team rosters here: https://tinyurl.com/3vp45exz
