As 3X3 basketball continues a rapid rise across the country, Rebel Sport has joined forces with Basketball New Zealand to support the game’s growth as the Naming Rights Partner of two significant summer events.
The Rebel Sport 3X3 Quest Tour and Rebel Sport 3X3 Secondary School Nationals are set to feature up to 2000 participants between January and March, with the Quest Tour hosting eight stops across New Zealand, while the school-related event will be run over four days at Pulman Arena in south Auckland.
Rebel Sport said in a statement that they are pleased to be playing a part in the rising popularity of 3X3 with a top-level partnership.
“As a sports retailer, we have seen an incredible surge in the popularity of basketball and are proud to support one of New Zealand’s fastest-growing games.
“Rebel Sport is all about making sport more accessible and to provide all Kiwis with the gear they need to make sport happen more often.
“We welcome this opportunity to be involved at the grassroots level of such an inclusive sport.”
The 3X3 format will enter the Olympics in 2021 and the Commonwealth Games in 2022, sparking a sharp rise in the popularity of the Quest Tour and Secondary School Nationals.
In 2019 the Secondary School Nationals had just over 100 teams competing, while the 2021 entries could almost double that number.
Basketball New Zealand Chief Executive Iain Potter says Rebel Sport’s involvement couldn’t have come at a better time considering the game’s growth and the role 3X3 is playing in that expansion.
“Rebel Sport is a leading and iconic brand across all sports, not just basketball, so we welcome them on board as the Naming Rights Partner of two very popular events on our annual basketball calendar.
“The summertime Quest Tour is fun and has a real travelling town-to-town aspect to it, while the Secondary School Nationals is likely to have as many as two hundred teams from across New Zealand participating. Both events represent huge numbers, especially in the youth demographic.”
The rise of 3X3 basketball was recently witnessed at the NBL’s 3X3 Cup, which featured New Zealand’s elite level players and attracted 20 hours of live television coverage across three days of fast, furious and physical action.
“The players love the game, especially the young generation of ballers coming through and experiencing the 3X3 game,” added Potter
“With Rebel Sport joining the show we’ll be making sure all the players get to enjoy an integrated 3X3 experience, whether that be out on the court playing or at their local Rebel Sport store purchasing their favourite basketball gear.”
Eight stops remain on the Rebel Sport 3X3 Quest Tour, with the next taking place on 16 January in Mount Manganui at the Tauranga Harbourside Netball Courts.
The Rebel Sport 3X3 Secondary School Nationals will run as a four-day event from 24-27 March at Pulman Arena in south Auckland.
Rebel Sport 3X3 Quest Tour Schedule, 2021:
- Saturday 16 January 2021, Tauranga Harbourside Netball Centre, Blake Park, Mt Maunganui
- Saturday 23 January 2021, Westlake Girls High School, Takapuna, North Auckland
- Saturday 13 February, Odlins Plaza, Wellington Waterfront
- Saturday 20 February 2021, Hagley Park Netball Courts, Christchurch
- Saturday 27 February 2021, The Octagon, Dunedin
- Saturday 6 March 2021, Mangere/Otahuhu Netball Centre, David Lange Park, Mangere, south Auckland.
- Saturday 13 March 2021, Waiwhakaiho Netball Courts, New Plymouth
- Date T.B.A, Quest FINAL*, Location T.B.A
More info on the Rebel Sport 3X3 Quest Tour:
- More details on the tour here
- Sign up for the tour via play.fiba3x3.com
- Follow the event on Basketball New Zealand’s social media accounts @BasketballNZ via Facebook, Instagram and Twitter
More info on the Rebel Sport 3X3 Secondary Schools Nationals:
- The Rebel Sport 3X3 Secondary Schools Nationals will take place from 24-27 March at Pulman Arena in south Auckland.
- All participants must sign up here before they will be allowed to represent their school.
- Team registrations and general enquiries to be sent to tournaments@nz.basketball
