Strong Showing for Southland at U14 Regional Basketball Tournament

The U14 Regional Basketball Tournament, held recently in Invercargill, marked an important milestone for Southland basketball, with teams from across the region delivering strong performances across all grades. It proved to be one of Southland’s most successful regional tournaments to date, highlighting the continued development and depth of talent emerging from the local basketball pathway.

In the girls’ competition, both Southland Thunder Storm and Southland Tropical Storm competed in the Girls B Grade division. The Tropical Storm, coached by Bert Tobia, placed fifth, while the Storm, under the guidance of Tony Clay, finished eighth. Tobia, who has coached and developed many of Southland’s leading female players over the past 15 years, continues to play a key role in supporting the next generation. Clay, one of Southland’s emerging coaches, has also been praised for his detailed approach and commitment to player development.

The U14A Boys team made history by finishing third in the A Grade pool—the highest placing ever achieved by a Southland junior team in the top division since the competition reclassified to Regional in 2015. Their hard-fought victory over Canterbury in the final match was a fitting conclusion to a campaign built on teamwork and determination. Head Coach Mark Bell, a former England age-group representative and former Southland Sharks Assistant Coach, praised the group’s composure and commitment, noting that their performance reflected “the progress being made across all levels of Southland basketball.”

Southland also celebrated success in the B Grade Boys division, where the Southland team claimed the championship title—the first time a Southland side has done so, last claiming runners up in 2021. Led by Head Coach Tim “TJ” Johnston, a former Nelson Giants player and two-time NZNBL champion (1994, 1998), the team demonstrated consistency and growth throughout the campaign. Johnston, whose son Ben also plays for the U14A squad, noted how rewarding it was to see the players’ development over the three months leading up to the tournament.

The development teams also produced encouraging results. The Southland Orange Boys, coached by Will Jack (Southland U18 representative), finished runners-up in the C Grade, while the Southland Blue Boys, led by Cairo Lee (Southland U18 representative), placed fourth, narrowly missing a finals berth after a one-point semifinal loss to the Orange team.

We did not only have players at this tournament, we had 12 referees step up and officiate this tournament, 11 referees, officiating there first BBNZ tournament, lead by Brian McKenzie as Technical Commissioner for the tournament, our referees out performed all expectations with 3 being named to officiate finals. Toby Bekhuis, Noa Moeakiola and Angus Manson all stepped up and earned finals medals for the performances over the week.

Together, these results underscore the strength and depth of Southland’s youth basketball programmes. The experience gained at this tournament will be invaluable as these young athletes continue to progress through the regional and national pathways.

The Southland Basketball Association extends its thanks to all volunteers, referees, team managers, and parents whose efforts helped make the tournament a success. Their continued support remains vital to the ongoing growth of basketball across the region.