Tall Blacks on court for Breakers 

Source: PhotosportBreakers guard Kirk Penney

Seven Tall Blacks and three Australian Boomers players will take the court for the Breakers in their game against an American college side in Rotorua next week.

Tall Blacks Dillon Boucher, Kirk Penney and Paul Henare are amongst the Tall Blacks who are heading to Rotorua with the New Zealand Breakers team.

The Breakers will play the American college team, Athletes in Action, at the Energy Events Centre in Rotorua on Wednesday 12 August. Rotorua is the first stop in a three game tour around North Island venues for the Breakers.

The Breakers will also be hosting schools coaching clinics while they are in Rotorua.

Events and Venues Rotorua stadium manager Crispian Stewart says interest in the game has been high, with ticket sales exceeding early expectations and all corporate tables sold.

"This is the first time the New Zealand Breakers have played outside Auckland for a number of years and their visit comes off the back of their most successful season ever in the Australian National Basketball League," says Mr Stewart.

"Basketball is a popular sport across New Zealand and Rotorua is no different.

"We have a number of excellent school teams and these kids stand to benefit enormously from the coaching tips the team has to offer, and from simply being around successful sports role models," he says.

"We only get teams of this calibre playing in Rotorua a handful of times a year, so it's a great opportunity for our locals to see some of the top players from New Zealand - and Australia - taking the court."

Stewart says the Athletes in Action teams are always strong competitors, with the group often playing pre-season games against Australian-based franchises in that country's national league.

The Tall Blacks and Boomers will go into separate training camps soon after the Breakers tour ahead of their upcoming trans-Tasman series later this month.