Australia and New Zealand are rivals as fierce as any and will be rekindling their rivalry this May as a part of the annual Trans-Tasman Throwdown series.
The Boomers, Seven Consulting Opals, Tall Blacks and 2Degrees Tall Ferns have a history battling against each other for Olympic and World Cup places as a part of the now defunct Oceania Championship series.
The last series coming in 2015, with Australia winning both series to lock in spots at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
It hasn’t always gone the way of the Australians. In 2001, the Tall Blacks historically beat the Boomers 2-1 in the three-game series to book their ticket to the 2002 FIBA World Championship [World Cup].
Australia won 19 of 21 men’s Oceania Championships they participated in, losing in 2009 on aggregate (162-177) despite the series being tied at one game apiece.
The men’s senior teams last played off in the 2022 Asia Cup Semi-Finals where the Boomers won 85-76 thanks to a Thon Maker 18 points and nine rebounds performance. Tall Black Jordan Hunt led New Zealand with 16 points.
After the TTT, the Boomers and Tall Blacks will look forward to the Asia Cup being held in Saudi Arabia this August after qualifying for the event.
The Opals have won every of the 15 Oceania Championship’s they competed in from 1974 to its end in 2015, with the first game played between the two nations taking place in 1938.
This will be the first meeting between the women’s sides since the bronze medal match at the 2023 Asia Cup hosted in Sydney. The Opals got the win 81-59 with a 14 point, 5 assist outing from captain Tess Madgen. Opals’ forward Alice Kunek and Tall Ferns’ centre Penina Davidson led the game in scoring with 19 points each.
Both the Opals and Tall Ferns have qualified for the upcoming Asia Cup which will be hosted in China this July.
The Trans-Tasman Throwdown takes place on May 7, 9 and 11 and will be played across Adelaide, the Sunshine Coast and Hamilton.
