A Premierships– These are tournaments for smaller secondary schools around the country. They must have a roll of less than 300 students (in Years 9-13) for a single sex school, or less than 600 students (in Years 9-13) for a co-ed school. These tournaments are qualifying events for Nationals, which are held in the first week of the October school holidays. The two tournaments available for ‘A’ schools are:

• North Island
• South Island

AA Premierships – These are tournaments for larger secondary schools around the country. Schools should have a roll of more than 300 students* (in Years 9-13) for a single sex school, or more than 600 students* (in Years 9-13) for a co-ed school. These tournaments are qualifying events for Nationals which are held in the first week of the October school holidays. The four tournaments available for ‘AA’ schools are:

• Zone 1 – Northern (Northland and Auckland)
• Zone 2 – Mid North (Waikato, Tauranga, Rotorua, Gisborne, Taupo)
• Zone 3 – Central (New Plymouth, Hawkes Bay, Wellington)
• Zone 4 – Southern (South Island)

*   A schools can attend AA Premierships if they choose to, however the school must commit to AA for the whole season. Schools cannot play in a AA Premiership, then switch to A for Nationals.

Cups – These are non-qualifying events. They are tournaments that are put on by Basketball NZ, and supported by local associations, to give secondary school students the opportunity to play within a tournament, in a less competitive setting. Schools may choose to send their B teams or send a new team in the lead up to attending Premierships the following year. There are 3 Cups nationwide, and you can choose which cup to send your team to (schools are not bound by zones like for other tournaments):

• Northern
• Central
• Southern

Junior Premierships – These are non-qualifying events. They are tournaments for students in Years 9 and 10 ONLY, to introduce them to a secondary school tournament. Schools can only attend tournaments that are located within their zone. There are four tournaments available for juniors nationwide:

• Zone 1 – Northern (Northland and Auckland)
• Zone 2 – Mid North (Waikato, Tauranga, Rotorua, Gisborne, Taupo)
• Zone 3 – Central (New Plymouth, Hawkes Bay, Wellington)
• Zone 4 – Southern (South Island)

Registration forms will be sent out at the beginning of Term2 2022

School Sport NZ roster forms will be sent with registration forms

Each specific tournament page will have registration forms online after they are sent out

Basketball NZ 2022 Tournaments Calendar can be found here.

Please click here for entry fees for 2022 BBNZ Tournaments.

Please refer to the individual tournament that you are planning on attending.

Download the Game Day App and search ‘Schools’ to follow each secondary schools tournament.

Secondary School basketball is continuing to reach new heights, our fantastic game is a positive outlet that more young people are taking up every year. This is evident in Junior, A and AA premierships as they become more stretched, most tournaments hitting their max team capacity before registration cut-off.

Schools are entering more teams and needing more players than ever before, however this is leading to players doubling up. While this is more obvious in female competitions, the number of Schools who choose to play athletes across multiple sports or Junior/Senior grades is increasing. Managing athletes across multiple sports or grades is a decision that either the School and/or the athletes guardian has made. With this decision, Schools and parents should not expect each sport to be able to cater for these athletes. As you would have done when making this decision, each sport has to juggle the administration across multiple competitions taking place while also ensuring that venue and host requirements are met. We have recently had instances where teams have tried to use their team and player availability as an advantage by stating if they can’t get an assurance of a request the team would pull out of the competition!

School Sport NZ (formally NZSSSC) recently published an article on monitoring student athletes, specifically  focusing on workload and negative effects on your athletes, such as injuries and burnout. The article features a monitoring programme that schools have an opportunity to utilise. Check out the article here.

Winter Tournament Week is a short window that has to fit a plethora of sport tournaments, and there is unfortunately no way we can all fit in without clashing with one another. In saying that, Basketball New Zealand’s first priority (if possible) is making sure our Junior and Senior events do not clash.

To ensure we all understand what is expected when entering a Non/Qualifying Tournament and to help with prior logistics and administration, the following need to be factored into your plans. Where possible we will attempt to finish this tournament early so teams that are able to, have the option to travel home on the last day:

1. Coaches and managers are expected to attend the technical meeting usually held the night before the first day of competition
2. Only the 12 players submitted and confirmed at the technical meeting can participate in the tournament
3. Teams can expect to play 1 or 2 games a day – this includes the final day of the tournament
4. Teams can expect to play between the hours of 8am and 10pm (hours are subject to many logistical factors)

Please see the links below to view the BBNZ Secondary School Player and Team Eligibility Regulations.

• BBNZ Secondary School Player And Team Eligibility Regulations 2022
• School B Teams At Secondary Schools Tournaments 
• A and AA Qualifiers to Nationals

Please click here to view the Secondary School Player Registration Guide.

As you will be aware, it is a condition of entry to our Premiership tournaments, that each team provides a referee. This has been a requirement for many years and is designed to ensure an adequate supply of referees for the events as well as provide an opportunity for student referees to represent their school.

In order to make the rostering of referees to games more efficient, teams must provide their referee details at the time of entry.  Your team entry is subject to providing all the required details including your referee.

Please note that on the first day of the tournament each team’s referee will be rostered to officiate the game immediately before or after your schools game.  The Technical Commissioner will then roster referees to games for the remainder of the tournament based on merit.

Please note:

• Failure to provide a referee at the tournament, may result in your school being excluded from the following years Premiership.
• Your team will be rostered to officiate based on your game times (on the first day).
• It is preferable that every team has a full time referee who is not playing or coaching.  This reduces the demands on them mentally and physically.
• It is recommended that referees are students from the school.  This has proved the most successful means to ensure schools can provide referees for tournaments.
• Student referees, as is the case with players, are representatives of their school.  It is hoped that this is the incentive for student referees to attend.
• Each referee will be required to officiate at least two games per day.
• Referees should have completed, as a minimum, the Level 1 Refereeing Course, but more importantly be up to the level of game.
• It is the responsibility of each team to make arrangements (eg. accommodation, transport, meals) for your referee to attend the tournament.  No game fees will be paid to referees at the tournament.
• Tournament information for referees will be sent to school contacts and the provided referee email.

For development of referees please speak to your local Association or refer to our website.

Should you require any further information regarding this please contact our Events Officials Lead, Melony O’Connor – referees@nz.basketball.

After discussions with our Molten supplier, Bernsport, it has been recommended that the Molten BG3800 Composite Leather Basketball is used for all school and association age group tournaments (available in sizes 6 & 7).

This ball will be used at the following events:

• Secondary School Tournaments (Premierships and Nationals)
• All BBNZ age-group tournaments (excluding U13 Regionals – BBNZ will be using BGF5X)

A reminder that if orders are received before the end of February, associations will received an additional 20% off all association pricing for selected Molten products!

Visit the BBNZ Shop to purchase basketballs for your school.

Contact email:  tournaments@nz.basketball | phone:  (04) 498 5950