The Secondary Schools National Basketball Championships (29 September – 3 October) and Under 13 Regionals (7 – 10 October) are still scheduled to take place.
Basketball New Zealand will update the basketball community once the Government announces the next Alert Level decision. Currently, Auckland is set to join the rest of New Zealand at Alert Level 2 on Sunday 30 August. This level will be in place nationwide for one week until Sunday 6 September, though Auckland will be limited to gatherings of 10 while the rest of New Zealand has a limit of 100.
The Government will address New Zealand with an update about the Alert Level before 6 September. If the Government decides to extend Alert Level 2 without an indication of a move to Alert Level 1, the Secondary Schools Nationals and Under 13s are likely to be cancelled. We hope to decide no later than 7 September (more likely before then), depending on the timing of the Government’s announcement.
Unfortunately postponing our age-group events this late in the year is not an option. There are no further dates available in 2020 that fit the requirements of the school calendar, which is hosting during school holidays and staying clear of exam times.
The health and safety of our community is the number one priority. It is clear that our national events cannot be played in Alert Level two (or higher) due to the requirement to keep gatherings to less the 100 people per event. Our national age-group events see well over 100 people attend.
The resounding feedback we have received is that people want to play and are hopeful the events will go ahead. We are also aware that this is a very unsettling time for many teams who are considering how they manage travel and accommodation bookings. We recommend you contact your suppliers and discuss the situation with them to better understand their cancellation policy – hopefully they will show a level of understanding and flexibility. Some schools may feel the need to withdraw due to these reasons. If you are considering withdrawing a team, please email Tournaments@nz.basketball.
The Under 15 and Under 17 National Championships are still scheduled for 24-26 October. We have more time before we make a call on these events.
Still scheduled:
The U13 Regionals, 7-10 October
- U13 Northern Regional Championships at Eventfinda Stadium, YMCA North Shore, AUT North Shore, hosted by Harbour Basketball.
- U13 Central Regional Championships at Pettigrew Green Arena, Centennial Hall, Hastings Sports Centre, hosted by Basketball Hawke’s Bay.
- U13 Southern Regional Championships, EA Networks Centre & Basketball Mid-Canterbury Stadium, hosted by Basketball Mid Canterbury
National Events
- The Secondary Schools National Championships. Currently schedule 28 September to 3 October at the Central Energy Trust Arena in Palmerston North.
- Aon U15 Nationals. Currently scheduled for Saturday 24 October to Monday 26 October (Labour Weekend) at Pulman Arena in Auckland.
- Aon U17 Nationals. Currently scheduled for Saturday 24 October to Monday 26 October (Labour Weekend) at Cowles Stadium and Bishopdale YMCA in Christchurch.
Postponed:
- Schick 3×3 Cup, ILT Stadium, Invercargill (new date TBA).
- Sal’s NBL (women’s league) and D-League (TBA)
