Peter Gutwein,Premier
Jane Howlett,Minister for Sport and Recreation
The Tasmanian Liberal Government is committed to delivering more elite sporting content for Tasmanians to enjoy.
We are excited to announce that additional first-class Basketball action is coming to Tasmania, with NBL pre-season games and two WNBL regular season matches set to be held in the State.
The NBL Blitz will see six teams (Adelaide 36ers, Brisbane Bullets, Cairns Taipans, New Zealand Breakers, Perth Wildcats and Tasmania JackJumpers) based in Tasmania to play at least 14 pre-season matches across the North, North-West and South of the State in November 2021, and will provide an opportunity for teams to engage in activities and coaching clinics with communities in all three regions.
The Blitz will conclude with a finals series at MyState Bank Arena, with all games to be streamed or broadcast across Australia.
The 2021-22 NBL Season Media Launch will also be held in the State, and will include the showcasing and the official opening of the MyState Bank Arena.
Excitingly, the Blitz will be free of charge for Tasmanian residents, and is expected to generate more than 4,000 bed nights and a significant return to the Tasmanian economy.
Negotiations are currently underway for the New Zealand Breakers to potentially call Tasmania home for the beginning of the 2021-22 NBL season.
Women’s basketball is also set to benefit, with two WNBL regular season matches to be played between the Bendigo Spirit and the Southside Flyers between January and March 2022.
This is a fantastic opportunity to highlight the pathway for women and girls in basketball and support the aims for Tasmania to have its own team in the WNBL in the coming years.
Importantly, the two WNBL teams will work with Tasmania’s NBL1 women’s teams, the Hobart Chargers and Launceston Tornadoes, to deliver junior basketball clinics for aspiring young female basketballers.
The NBL and WNBL will work closely with Public Health in Tasmania to ensure that the appropriate protocols are in place for teams to stay, train and play in the State in a COVID safe way to keep Tasmanians free from the risk of COVID-19.
