ILT Stadium Southland Invercargill has been named as the venue for the inaugural staging of a new, elite domestic basketball competition this September.

The Schick 3X3 Cup will see 10 men’s teams and 10 women’s teams assembling at ILT Stadium Southland from 3-5 September. After this inaugural season, the plan is to see the Schick 3X3 Cup played throughout August 2021, with four stops on a nationwide tour to find the best NBL 3X3 teams and players in the land.

This year’s competition will feature no less than 70 games played across five sessions, with 20-hours of action set to be broadcast on Sky Sport.

It will feature NBL level players and joins up a 3X3 pathway that has been evolving in New Zealand for some years, with the community-facing 3X3 Quest Tour that’s played in regions throughout the country each year, the 3X3.EXE Premier League, and the Basketball New Zealand elite 3X3 programme.

At the international level, already FIBA has been developing its World Tour and hosting 3X3 continental and world cups for a number of years. Next year, 3X3 is set to become an Olympic sport in Tokyo. 

Basketball New Zealand Head of High Performance Leonard King said the Schick 3X3 Cup was a fantastic addition to the 3X3 programme and would encourage a new generation of ballers.

“3X3 has been quite the innovation in the sport these past 10 years. FIBA has long seen the potential in this new version of the sport, with its inclusion at the Olympic Games it is going to be exposed to a global audience of billions,” he said.

“It is a fast-paced and high energy game, one that requires a huge tactical awareness but also one that rewards strong one-on-one play, allowing players to express themselves on offence and defence.”

Current men’s and women’s NBL teams quickly snapped up 18 of the 20 three-year franchises that were on offer, with NBL General Manager Justin Nelson indicating that a 10th ‘invitational’ team would be confirmed in both men’s and women’s Schick 3x3 Cup competitions on an annual basis.

“We have left the door open for a 10th invitational team in both the men’s and women’s competitions each year and have a few ideas on the table, and once New Zealand’s borders are open again we have a firm desire to bring international teams in to take on our best, hopefully starting with the Philippines.”

Sky Sport Tall Fern Penina Davidson said she was excited at the opportunities in the women’s game with the Schick 3X3 Cup adding to the growing incentive for younger players to choose the basketball pathway.

 “To have more girls playing is huge, even if they don’t want to play five a side they now have 3X3 as a genuine option, this is just great to have more basketball going on, especially for the younger girls to have this as an option to choose basketball,” she said.

“The level of fitness is a significantly higher standard and because there are only three players you are so much more exposed in terms of skill set. It is overall quite like an intense, fast paced and highly skilled game which makes it really exciting.”

Teams confirmed to place in the NBL Schick 3X3 Cup from 3-5 September at ILT Stadium Southland, Invercargill are:

Men’s Teams

Auckland Huskies

Nelson Giants

Canterbury Rams

Otago Nuggets

Taranaki Airs

Southland Sharks

Manawatu Jets

Franklin Bulls

Hawke’s Bay Hawks

Invitational Team

Women’s Teams

Harbour Breeze

Otago Gold Rush

Auckland Dream

Taranaki Thunder

Northland Phoenix

Canterbury Wildcats

Bay of Plenty Blaze

Waikato Wizards

Capital Swish

Invitational Team