Basketball Academy

"Whāia te iti kahurangi, ki te tūohu koe, me he maunga teitei."
Pursue excellence—if you should bow, let it be to a lofty mountain.

The 2025 basketball season has kicked off with a busy start! Our Senior Academy Basketball Boot Camp saw 26 of our top senior players travel to Whakatāne for an intense two-day conditioning camp. A huge effort from these young men!

We have now assembled the rest of our Senior Academy Team, which includes a mix of Year 12 players but is mostly made up of Year 11 students. Our squads are:

• Senior 1

• Senior 2

• Senior 3

With a massive intake of Year 10 players, we have put together a Junior A squad, which features some exciting young talent:
⭐ Malakai Tumalealiifano
⭐ Daezon Hooper
⭐ Reone Allen
⭐ Te Uranga Lloyd
⭐ Caeleb Cianci

Additionally, we have a Development 1 Junior Team and two more Year 10 Development Teams.

Now, in Week 6, we are excited to welcome a new cohort of Year 9 players. A total of 70 students have gone through the selection process to join the Year 9 Basketball Academy for 2025. We look forward to seeing their growth, with up to 14 teams expected from this group. These teams will begin their Tuesday night competition in Term 2.

Upcoming Games – March 2025

🏀 14th March – Senior A and Junior A in Tauranga Sport BOP 3x3 Tournament
🏀 15th March – Senior A vs. St John’s, Hamilton (6PM)
🏀 21st–23rd March – Whai Academy Pre-Season Tournament, Tauranga
🏀 27th–29th March – BBNZ 3x3 Zone 2 Regionals, Rotorua

A huge congratulations to the 2025 Senior A team:
✅ Chima Okechukwu
✅ Jaxyn Bell
✅ James-Kapua Brown
✅ Jeddh Heath
✅ Brodee Hunter
✅ Houkura-i-te-Rangi Lloyd
✅ Manaia Nikora
✅ Charis Papuni
✅ Logan Peddle
✅ Mikaia Kingi
✅ Tawera Hawkins
✅ Jacob Hemara

Special recognition to Manaia Nikora and Jeddh Heath, who have been named the 2025 Senior A dual captains—well done, and all the best for the season ahead!

Watch this space for more exciting updates from the Raukura Basketball Academy! 🏀🔥