Breakers hit road in pre-season tour 

Source: PhotosportThe Breakers

The Breakers will take to the road in New Zealand for the first time in five years with pre-season tour dates confirmed against an American touring selection drawn from some of the best college players in America.

The club announced a three game pre-season tour which will see the Andrej Lemanis led team play in Rotorua, Hawkes Bay and Porirua, giving fans from outside the club's Auckland base a rare chance to see the team in action live.

Breakers General Manager Richard Clarke said the objectives for the tour go beyond just preparation for the season.

"This is an opportunity for us to take the Breakers to places where we have great support, but haven't previously been able to have the team play" said Clarke.

"The games are an important part of our build up for the season, but the tour is just as important for the chance to support those basketball communities, and give the players a chance to interact with a whole different part of our fan base."

In addition to the pre-season games, the Breakers will run junior coaching clinics, visit schools and coaching workshops in each region. A promising player from each region will also join the Breakers team for that day, including sitting on the bench for the game.

Adding further interest to the tour is the quality and background of the opponents throughout the tour. The Athletes in Action selection is drawn from top NCAA college players in the United States.

The AIA roster includes Daniel Artest, younger brother of NBA star Ron Artest. Daniel has himself spent time with the Sacramento Kings in the NBA summer league.

Athletes in Action have a history of bringing quality players to this part of the world, with Perth Wildcats star (and former Breaker) Shawn Redhage first being introduced to Australia via an AIA tour.

In addition to the three games against the full Breakers roster, AIA will play games on the North Shore against the Breakers Academy team, and a Breakers invitation team.

The Breakers will be near full strength for the tour, with the only exception being Canadian import Dave Thomas who does not arrive in New Zealand until late August.