BBNZ has just opened up registrations for the 2018 3x3 Quest Tour - Canterbury had teams turned away last year due to excellent response, so get in quick with your team if you want to play in 2018! The Christchurch Leg is scheduled for:

• Saturday February 24
• Hagley Park Courts (Cowles Stadium if forced inside by inclement weather)
• FREE!!!

The 3X3 Quest Tour will tip off in one month from today, on 9 December.

Basketball New Zealand’s 3x3 Manager, David Huxford, says the tour has grown in status every year, as more and more people are stepping onto court.

“People are flocking to the 3x3 format. That’s been recognised internationally through the Olympic Committee confirming it will be part of Tokyo 2020. And FIBA’s international competitions continue to gain larger audiences. Yet, the true strength of 3x3 lies at the grassroots level. People love it because it’s informal, you just need a street hoop, it’s fast, quick and fun. So we are expecting another great summer season.”

The Tour once again has FIBA’s official ‘Quest’ status, which means that the winner of the Open Men’s grade at each event will compete at the World Tour Qualifier Final at The Cloud in Auckland, where there is a big prize on the line. 

“Whoever wins the last event at The Cloud will win an all-expenses paid trip to compete at the World Tour Masters,” says Huxford.

“We’ve done this for the past two years. It’s a great prize and the athletes that go find themselves playing in a globally-elite 3x3 environment. They’ll be competing against some of the world’s best talent – it’s not easy with such tough competition, the experience is incredible,” says Huxford.

“The Quest Tour, which has ten stops around the country this summer, gives players a great opportunity to be spotted by the national 3x3 talent selector. Next year, Basketball New Zealand will send a number of national representative teams overseas to play in FIBA 3x3 events, so we’re always looking for talented players that can step up.”

Building on four successful tours over previous summers, the 3X3 Quest Tour runs from 9 December through to 10 March. The event is open to under 15, under 17, under 19, and Open age-groups in both men’s and women’s categories. Huxford says team’s need to register early if they don’t want to miss out.

“Given last season’s demand, we are encouraging players to enter their teams now and ensure they are registered on play.fiba3x3.com.”

On play.fiba3x3.com, players can enter events, track their results and compare their ranking to their friend’s and other 3x3 players internationally. It’s essential that all players have an official play.fiba3x3.com profile when they play in the Tour. Creating a profile is easy and only takes about three minutes. Once you’ve created a play.fiba3x3.com account, respond to the confirmation email, register for an event, and you’re ready to play.

3X3 Quest Tour Schedule:

Date | Region | Venue
Sat 9 Dec 2017 | Tauranga | Mount Maunganui Netball centre
Sat 16 Dec 2017 | Auckland - Takapuna | North Shore Events Centre
Sat 20 Jan 2018 | Auckland - Mangere | Mangere Otahuhu Netball Centre
Sat 27 Jan 2018 | Hamilton | Garden Place and Civic Square
Sat 10 Feb 2018 | Wellington | Odlins Plaza
Sat 17 Feb 2018 | Invercargill | Stadium Southland
Sun 18 Feb 2018 | Dunedin | The Octagon
Sat 24 Feb 2018 | Christchurch | Hagley Park Netball Courts
Sat 3 Mar 2018 | Auckland - Henderson | Trusts Arena
Sat 10 Mar 2018 | Auckland - CBD | The Cloud* 

* This event will be both a normal 3x3 Quest Tour event, except for the Open Men's grade – only Open Men’s grade teams that have qualified through previous tour events can play in the World Tour Qualifier Final at The Cloud on 10 March.

More information:

• www.basketball.org.nz/3X3 
• play.fiba3x3.com 
• Follow the event on Basketball New Zealand’s Social media accounts: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter