Whanganui hosts Hoop Nation junior showcase for fourth time

Shamar and Charis Broughton are competing in the Hoop Nation 2024 tournament in Whanganui. Photo / Bevan Conley

Talented young players from across the country are in Whanganui for junior basketball showcase Hoop Nation.

Event co-founder Paul Berridge said it was the fourth year of Whanganui hosting Hoop Nation and some of New Zealand’s best junior players were in attendance.

Teams have travelled from as far as Nelson and Christchurch for the event.

One of the struggles of putting on the tournament was finding accommodation in Whanganui for teams, he said.

Sixty-five per cent of the players were able to find a place to stay locally, but other teams had to find accommodation in Palmerston North, Bulls, and Feilding.

Berridge said the player turnout to the tournament was similar to previous years but the girl’s side of the sport had “hugely increased”.

Fourteen-year-old twins Charis and Shamar Broughton are up-and-coming talents from Tauranga and have been playing since primary school.

“It’s been a really good experience coming here after the holidays where we haven’t played much,” Charis said.

“I like competing and shooting most of all.”

Shamar said it was good to connect with other players from around New Zealand.

“It’s who you’re up against for the rest of the year.”

Both hope to head overseas one day and to get the chance to play in America.

Berridge said the “Caitlin Clark effect” and the media attention surrounding the WNBA in America had inspired a lot of young players, and it was huge for the women’s game globally.

Earlier this month, a record 18.7 million people tuned in to watch the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) final between Iowa (featuring Clark) and South Carolina.

“The introduction of professional leagues for the women is at a different level now and it’s going to keep girls inside the sport,” he said.

“The great thing about basketball in this country is that kids are dreaming of getting to the States.”

Basketball in New Zealand offered “a pathway to college education in America”.

Berridge said he would like to see the three-court facility at Springvale Stadium expanded, so the venue could cater for larger crowds and more games.

“It would be ideal to have a facility that could cater to multiple sports.”

The stadium was outdated and needed an uplift, he said.

“I love this court and this is where I started my basketball career and the floor is one of the best in the country, but there’s land space here to make it bigger and better.”

This year’s Whanganui Hoop Nation event runs until tomorrow at Springvale Stadium, Whanganui High School, Whanganui Collegiate and Faith City.

Eva de Jong is a reporter for the Whanganui Chronicle covering health stories and general news. She began as a reporter in 2023.