This Friday night, the BNZ Breakers will play at Wolfbrook Arena in what will be the first of two games held in Christchurch this season. They’re set to face off against the Cairns Taipans, who feature Kiwis Sam Waardenburg and Sam Mennenga, the former of which joined the Mainland Eagles in 2016 for an exhibition game at Cowles Stadium.
The New Zealand Breakers and Canterbury Rams have a long-standing relationship that dates back to the team’s debut in the Australian NBL in 2003. Since then, a selection of players have represented both sides, including most recently Christ’s College alumni Max Darling, who has signed a multi-year development player deal with the Breakers this offseason.
“The Breakers’ link to the Canterbury region is fundamentally important on two levels,” says Canterbury Rams General Manager Caleb Harrison. “[Those being] bringing high level international basketball to aspiring kids in the region and also providing a pathway for our Rams players to play in the Australian NBL.”
In 2019 the New Zealand Breakers made their much-awaited return to Christchurch for a regular season game, putting on a show for a crowd of 6,000 people. It had been a long time between drinks, about fifteen years to be precise. Since then, regular season Christchurch trips have become more common for the Breakers. Last season the Breakers played two games in Christchurch; a 110-74 victory over the South East Melbourne Phoenix and a 77-65 loss to the Melbourne United.
A total of five regular season games have been played in Christchurch since 2019. Many more are set to follow as the Breakers have made a long term commitment to continue bringing the team down to Christchurch. “[We’re] looking forward to continuing to partner with the Breakers over the next three years, both with bringing games to the region and working with the Breakers on pathway opportunities for our future talented players,” says Harrison.
Buy your tickets today!
Breakers v Taipans, 3rd November
Breakers v 36ers, 30th November
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