North Brisbane Basketball Assn Inc (Dragons Basketball) and Qld University of Technology (QUT) Basketball announce the establishment of their strategic alliance to develop and enhance the QUT basketball program and provide a social basketball structure for male and female Dragons members.

North Brisbane Basketball has agreed to provide Club management and administration support and other resources to the QUT Basketball program and in return will gain immediate access to QUT's existing social basketball teams across a range of skill levels.  You do not have to be a QUT student to play with the new social teams.  QUT Basketball have agreed to administer all aspects of senior social and some more competitive teams. The finer details of the alliance are still being resolved but one aspect that was important to our Club was that there was no financial impact on our Club – the alliance must be totally responsible for their own finances and expenses including uniforms.

In announcing the alliance with QUT Basketball, North Brisbane Basketball President Tom Coogan said “Dragons Club has reputable and proven Junior and higher level Senior programs but has, for some time, had a void with social teams to cater for interest from our parent members and older aged Juniors. In our recent end of year survey, our members highlighted a desire for the Club to provide social basketball teams. Forming this alliance with QUT Basketball allows us to immediately offer the opportunity for our older junior and adult members to join social male and female basketball teams. Players exiting our Junior program will now have the opportunity to progress into social teams with players of similar age, something our Club has neglected for some time. Providing these opportunities to our, and QUT's, older aged members will also potentially increase our junior coaching pool.”

QUT Basketball Co-Ordinator Sam Gilmore said “Dragons Club has an obvious professional and successful management that has seen their Club all but double its membership over the last 2 years. QUT's basketball program will benefit from the Club management and infrastructure support and resources that Dragons will provide. North Brisbane Basketball will also provide us with access to their PCYC training facility allowing us to form an elite team that will ultimately be more competitive in University games.”

The new alliance will be administered as a sub-committee of North Brisbane Basketball and will comprise QUT representatives Sam Gilmore and Isaac Menso and long term Dragons Club players and coaches and QUT Students Martin Coogan and Nick Fracchia. The addition of Dragons members to the committee will ensure a seamless integration into the North Brisbane Basketball management style but retain an independence from the main Club. Teams will be nominated in competitions under the title of “QUT Dragons”.

Anyone interested in joining the QUT Dragons social teams can register this interest at www.qutdragonsregn.northbrisbanebasketball.com.au.

This alliance takes Dragons Club a step closer to becoming a Club For Everyone and allows us to deliver a pathway for our older age juniors to continue in basketball and stay involved with our Club something that has not formally occured in over 15 years.