This weekend sees the culmination of another brilliant season of GJ Gardner Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa, with the Final 4 event being held at Te Rauparaha Arena in Porirua on September 9 & 10.
It also sees the fulfilment of a valuable season-long partnership between GJ Gardner Tauihi and Basketball New Zealand (BBNZ’s) Girls Got Game (GGG) – which is BBNZ’s national programme which aims to get more girls playing basketball more often through fun, friendly, and positive experiences.
Throughout the season, Girls Got Game has worked with the Tauihi franchises to support them with school visits and community education. For the Hoiho, this support saw star Tauihi players Zoe Richards and Ashten Prechtel travel to Dunedin North Primary School, Tahuna Normal Primary School and Trinity Catholic College to deliver GGG programmes to the students.
To celebrate the end of the second year of Tauihi, this weekend also sees the first ever BBNZ Women & Girls Community Hui being held in New Zealand, with female leaders from across Aotearoa travelling to Porirua for a two-day development and connection opportunity. The hui brings together second-year participants in the Emerging Leaders programme, alongside the GGG Working Group – who are responsible for driving the Girls Got Game strategy – and female development officers and community champions from many of the basketball Associations around the country.
And on Sunday, Wellington’s very first Girls Got Game GLOW festival – in conjunction with Capital Basketball – will be held at Te Rauparaha Arena on the side court. First held in Auckland last year, GLOW Fest combines the social fun of 3×3 basketball with glow-in-the-dark balls, hoops and clothing to create a unique sporting event for young girls.
BBNZ Participation and Wellbeing Lead, Meaghan Wilby, says that the relationship with Tauihi through these initiatives has been invaluable for the GGG programme.
“It’s been great to support the Tauihi teams to roll out programmes within their local communities this year; we know Girls Got Game has a significant and positive impact on encouraging girls to have a go at basketball and develop a love for the game,” says Wilby.
“The Women and Girls community hui this weekend is all about creating connections, developing a network that supports the continued growth of the girl’s game in Aotearoa, and also nourishing the champions who are making an impact every day in their communities. It’s a great opportunity to both celebrate our successes, while also providing these champions with tools to support them going back into their communities for another year.”
“The Glowfest is another GGG success story; it’s thinking outside of the box to encourage girls to experience basketball in a fun and unique setting. This event quickly sold out in Wellington, with over 50 girls set to attend – and they’ll also receive a free ticket to the Tauihi finals too.”
The Final 4 will take place this weekend at Te Rauparaha Arena in Porirua. Tickets can be purchased here: https://tauihi.flicket.co.nz/
What is Girls Got Game?
Girls Got Game is Basketball New Zealand’s national programme that aims to get more girls playing basketball more often through fun, friendly, and positive experiences that show them basketball is a space for them.
The aim of the programme is to support the development of young wāhine into wāhine toa by delivering engaging spaces where girls have the freedom to be themselves and find belonging.
Girls Got Game first launched in 2019 and has reached over 15,000 girls across the country. Originally developed to introduce primary and intermediate-aged girls into basketball, Girls Got Game has grown to include offerings that keep girls involved and support their further skill development and has recently expanded to reach secondary school aged females as well.
