It was one of the great sporting storylines of the weekend - the junior Tall Blacks managed to punch above their weight and finish fourth in the U19 Basketball World Cip.
But it didn't come cheap. Each of the players had to stump up $5000 to cover the cost of the tournament.
Basketball NZ acting CEO Belinda Edwards spoke to Elliott Smith on Sportstalk about whether our system for funding sport in NZ needs a re-think.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Waldergrave
from News Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Edb Indeed, well, it was a story of the weekend
perhaps outside the All Blacks, wasn't it. The under nineteen
basketball is the junior All Blacks taking a top four
finish at the World Championships in Switzerland, a very very
impressive effort that they put through, but it took them
a lot of money individually to get them to the tournament.
(00:34):
Joining us now is the acting Chief Executive Officer, usually
the COO of Basketball New Zealand, Belinda Edwards. And Belinda,
have you come down to the ground on what was
an incredible few weeks A few couple of weeks, excuse
me for the juniors All Blacks.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Absolutely an incredible effort. The boy's still a little bit
gutted about not getting the bronze medal, but we continually
remind them that being fourth in the world is an
incredible result and for a lot of those boys, this
is a second time they've done it. So they did
it at the Under seventeen World Cup last year, ended
(01:12):
up force and repeated that again.
Speaker 4 (01:15):
So extremely proud of them.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Did you feel obviously the previous year under seventeen, so
that there was something building with this young group of men.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
Yeah, definitely. I mean this is a really strong team.
We've also got some younger some younger teams coming through.
Our under sixteens at the moment are looking really strong
coming through for the next cycle. So when you're going
into this, we had an incredible team also an incredible
coaching staff alongside them, so we were going in very
(01:50):
hopeful and they came through.
Speaker 4 (01:53):
In the end, it's.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
All Blacks senior team must end in pretty good stead
for the future. If this is the crop of young
players you've got coming through.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
Absolutely, these players have also been playing the sky Broad
brand rapidly so nbl And. So the pathway for basketball
in New Zealand is really strong at the moment and
this success just shows that improves that we will continue
(02:23):
to see strength in both the Junior Tour Blacks and
the Tour Blacks in the future.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Obviously, funding wise, basketball New Zealand doesn't get a great
deal from High Performance Sport in New Zealand. How much
did you ask each player or their families to contribute
to this trip?
Speaker 3 (02:40):
Originally the full user pays would have been ten thousand dollars.
We had some funding that we could contribute to that,
so brought it down to eight and then that was
still extremely difficult for us to ask, so the Basketball
New Zealand Board agreed to reduce that further with some
(03:04):
other savings that we had managed to find. The total
amount we ended up charging them was five thousand dollars
for each of them to attend.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Is it frustrating that you have to do that to
these promising young players? You know, I know that a
lot of sports around the country obviously fundraise and have
to put money into pockets to de send teams, but
frustrating you have to ask that much to get those
players on the international stage.
Speaker 4 (03:29):
Oh, it's very frustrating.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
And like you say, we're not the only sport in
that situation, but when there's especially the high performing athletes
are going to multipole campaigns year on year, sometimes more
than one campaign a year, it's incredibly expensive and obviously
creates a bit of a barrier there. We try and
(03:54):
reduce that barrier. We allow people to pay things off.
We've got a raffle going that we'd love people to
contribute to to try and help fundraise for these kids.
But also you know, there are some of them that
have great support from their community that gather around and
try and help with the funding. But to your point,
(04:16):
it is extremely frustrating to have to ask for these
large sums of money when they're representing their country.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Is this something that basketball in New Zealand has become
accustomed or used to. I suppose given what's happened in
recent times around the funding model for high performance suport
in New Zealand that year by year you have to
ask these players to dip into their pockets, or their
families or their communities.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
Yeah, this isn't new. I guess.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
The thing that for barsotball New Zealand is the better
that we get the more campaigns that we're going to,
so going to World Cups, going to final aighta Cups,
that is happening more and more. We're also going to
the other side of the world very often, so as
(05:01):
we all know, travel costs increasingly.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
More and more offensive.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
So yeah, the price is not reducing, which which also
doesn't help. But yeah, for sure, it's something that's been
around for a long time for basketball having.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
To charge players. We would love to be able to
get rid of that.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
For example, attending this World Cup, we're the only team
there where the children the participants had to pay.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
And given the number of players playing basketball in the country,
you know, it's not like it's and here I say
it because I'm sure there'll be listeners of smaller sports
out there frustrated by that. But you know, basket, when
you fee into higher participation sport, you know that must
you know, stick in the craw a little bit, that
you've got to go out and and do this.
Speaker 4 (05:54):
Yeah, it does.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
There's a lot of things that we're working on in
the background, but the funding model certainly doesn't suit a
sport like basketball, a sport that's a truly global sport.
The travel is incredible and we're punched well above our weight.
So the funding model in New Zealand I think the
criteria for that funding is probably not suitable for those
(06:21):
types of sports anymore.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
I remember speaking to it to Ian Potter when he
was in the job about this. It's been a number
of years now, this this long term frustration. Do you
see any light at the end of the tunnel with
high performance sport in New Zealand around this?
Speaker 4 (06:36):
Perhaps not for this cycle.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
They've already done their funding for this Olympic cycle, but
we're continually having those conversations.
Speaker 4 (06:45):
I think there needs to be some sort.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
Of waiting for the truly global sports rather than just
podium finishes. I think we need to have a look
at the waiting on the criteria for those that are
still achieving incredible results. I mean, forth in the world
one hundred and fifty two countries competing is phenomenal and
(07:11):
I think there needs to be some recognition for that.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Do you think obviously that the numbers come around every
year obviously Olympic comes into a big time, but they
do get reassessed. Do you think you've got a case
to go back to high performance sport in New Zealand
this year and you know, ask for a little bit
more funding or do you think that the door's closed.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
I think we'll certainly be having some conversations. I think
high performance sport also are limited by the money that
they get from the government as well, so it's certainly not.
Speaker 4 (07:43):
Not their fault.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
I think in general the funding is reducing for high
performance sport as well, so they've got a.
Speaker 4 (07:54):
Challenge on their hands.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
So but we'll certainly be knocking on the door and
saying if there's any more that we can tap.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Into blender edwards with US and basketball in New Zealand.
Just finally, Blunder, I mean the fourth place finishitet the
Under nineteen World Cup. You know, everyone remembers the two
thousand and two campaign with the Tall Blacks and what
they are able to do there. The signs must be
pretty good though for a sport that doesn't get a
lot of funding, that you're punching above the weight and
you know maybe another world championship or Olympic style result
(08:23):
could have been the offering in the years to come with
this group of Adirasat kids.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
Yeah, absolutely, I mean incredibly proud of this group. A
lot of them off to their colleges and the States
where they'll get even even more high performance support on
their games and their skills. So looking forward to them
coming back and joining the Tall Blacks as they selectors.
(08:49):
So we're incredibly excited at our high performance team at
Basketball New Zealand have got a really strong campaign both
men's and women's for the twenty twenty eight Olympic cycles,
so we're extremely hopeful and that's certainly a World Cup
in twenty twenty seven for the Tall Blacks and then
Olympics in the twenty twenty eight, and obviously we're doing.
Speaker 4 (09:13):
Extremely well in three extrae as well.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
Our Youth three xtray are currently ranked second in the
world both men and women. So all the signs are
certainly pointing in the right direction and where we're certainly
working towards some partium finishers in the future.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
For more from sports Talk, listen live to News Talks
it'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Waldergrave
from News Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Edb Indeed, well, it was a story of the weekend
perhaps outside the All Blacks, wasn't it. The under nineteen
basketball is the junior All Blacks taking a top four
finish at the World Championships in Switzerland, a very very
impressive effort that they put through, but it took them
a lot of money individually to get them to the tournament.
(00:34):
Joining us now is the acting Chief Executive Officer, usually
the COO of Basketball New Zealand, Belinda Edwards. And Belinda,
have you come down to the ground on what was
an incredible few weeks A few couple of weeks, excuse
me for the juniors All Blacks.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Absolutely an incredible effort. The boy's still a little bit
gutted about not getting the bronze medal, but we continually
remind them that being fourth in the world is an
incredible result and for a lot of those boys, this
is a second time they've done it. So they did
it at the Under seventeen World Cup last year, ended
(01:12):
up force and repeated that again.
Speaker 4 (01:15):
So extremely proud of them.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Did you feel obviously the previous year under seventeen, so
that there was something building with this young group of men.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
Yeah, definitely. I mean this is a really strong team.
We've also got some younger some younger teams coming through.
Our under sixteens at the moment are looking really strong
coming through for the next cycle. So when you're going
into this, we had an incredible team also an incredible
coaching staff alongside them, so we were going in very
(01:50):
hopeful and they came through.
Speaker 4 (01:53):
In the end, it's.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
All Blacks senior team must end in pretty good stead
for the future. If this is the crop of young
players you've got coming through.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
Absolutely, these players have also been playing the sky Broad
brand rapidly so nbl And. So the pathway for basketball
in New Zealand is really strong at the moment and
this success just shows that improves that we will continue
(02:23):
to see strength in both the Junior Tour Blacks and
the Tour Blacks in the future.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Obviously, funding wise, basketball New Zealand doesn't get a great
deal from High Performance Sport in New Zealand. How much
did you ask each player or their families to contribute
to this trip?
Speaker 3 (02:40):
Originally the full user pays would have been ten thousand dollars.
We had some funding that we could contribute to that,
so brought it down to eight and then that was
still extremely difficult for us to ask, so the Basketball
New Zealand Board agreed to reduce that further with some
(03:04):
other savings that we had managed to find. The total
amount we ended up charging them was five thousand dollars
for each of them to attend.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Is it frustrating that you have to do that to
these promising young players? You know, I know that a
lot of sports around the country obviously fundraise and have
to put money into pockets to de send teams, but
frustrating you have to ask that much to get those
players on the international stage.
Speaker 4 (03:29):
Oh, it's very frustrating.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
And like you say, we're not the only sport in
that situation, but when there's especially the high performing athletes
are going to multipole campaigns year on year, sometimes more
than one campaign a year, it's incredibly expensive and obviously
creates a bit of a barrier there. We try and
(03:54):
reduce that barrier. We allow people to pay things off.
We've got a raffle going that we'd love people to
contribute to to try and help fundraise for these kids.
But also you know, there are some of them that
have great support from their community that gather around and
try and help with the funding. But to your point,
(04:16):
it is extremely frustrating to have to ask for these
large sums of money when they're representing their country.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Is this something that basketball in New Zealand has become
accustomed or used to. I suppose given what's happened in
recent times around the funding model for high performance suport
in New Zealand that year by year you have to
ask these players to dip into their pockets, or their
families or their communities.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
Yeah, this isn't new. I guess.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
The thing that for barsotball New Zealand is the better
that we get the more campaigns that we're going to,
so going to World Cups, going to final aighta Cups,
that is happening more and more. We're also going to
the other side of the world very often, so as
(05:01):
we all know, travel costs increasingly.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
More and more offensive.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
So yeah, the price is not reducing, which which also
doesn't help. But yeah, for sure, it's something that's been
around for a long time for basketball having.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
To charge players. We would love to be able to
get rid of that.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
For example, attending this World Cup, we're the only team
there where the children the participants had to pay.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
And given the number of players playing basketball in the country,
you know, it's not like it's and here I say
it because I'm sure there'll be listeners of smaller sports
out there frustrated by that. But you know, basket, when
you fee into higher participation sport, you know that must
you know, stick in the craw a little bit, that
you've got to go out and and do this.
Speaker 4 (05:54):
Yeah, it does.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
There's a lot of things that we're working on in
the background, but the funding model certainly doesn't suit a
sport like basketball, a sport that's a truly global sport.
The travel is incredible and we're punched well above our weight.
So the funding model in New Zealand I think the
criteria for that funding is probably not suitable for those
(06:21):
types of sports anymore.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
I remember speaking to it to Ian Potter when he
was in the job about this. It's been a number
of years now, this this long term frustration. Do you
see any light at the end of the tunnel with
high performance sport in New Zealand around this?
Speaker 4 (06:36):
Perhaps not for this cycle.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
They've already done their funding for this Olympic cycle, but
we're continually having those conversations.
Speaker 4 (06:45):
I think there needs to be some sort.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
Of waiting for the truly global sports rather than just
podium finishes. I think we need to have a look
at the waiting on the criteria for those that are
still achieving incredible results. I mean, forth in the world
one hundred and fifty two countries competing is phenomenal and
(07:11):
I think there needs to be some recognition for that.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Do you think obviously that the numbers come around every
year obviously Olympic comes into a big time, but they
do get reassessed. Do you think you've got a case
to go back to high performance sport in New Zealand
this year and you know, ask for a little bit
more funding or do you think that the door's closed.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
I think we'll certainly be having some conversations. I think
high performance sport also are limited by the money that
they get from the government as well, so it's certainly not.
Speaker 4 (07:43):
Not their fault.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
I think in general the funding is reducing for high
performance sport as well, so they've got a.
Speaker 4 (07:54):
Challenge on their hands.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
So but we'll certainly be knocking on the door and
saying if there's any more that we can tap.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Into blender edwards with US and basketball in New Zealand.
Just finally, Blunder, I mean the fourth place finishitet the
Under nineteen World Cup. You know, everyone remembers the two
thousand and two campaign with the Tall Blacks and what
they are able to do there. The signs must be
pretty good though for a sport that doesn't get a
lot of funding, that you're punching above the weight and
you know maybe another world championship or Olympic style result
(08:23):
could have been the offering in the years to come with
this group of Adirasat kids.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
Yeah, absolutely, I mean incredibly proud of this group. A
lot of them off to their colleges and the States
where they'll get even even more high performance support on
their games and their skills. So looking forward to them
coming back and joining the Tall Blacks as they selectors.
(08:49):
So we're incredibly excited at our high performance team at
Basketball New Zealand have got a really strong campaign both
men's and women's for the twenty twenty eight Olympic cycles,
so we're extremely hopeful and that's certainly a World Cup
in twenty twenty seven for the Tall Blacks and then
Olympics in the twenty twenty eight, and obviously we're doing.
Speaker 4 (09:13):
Extremely well in three extrae as well.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
Our Youth three xtray are currently ranked second in the
world both men and women. So all the signs are
certainly pointing in the right direction and where we're certainly
working towards some partium finishers in the future.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
For more from sports Talk, listen live to News Talks
it'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
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