All hail the Queens

Friendship ended with rugby, now basketball is my best friend

You may or may not know that women’s basketball is levelling all the way up here in Aotearoa with the launch of Tauihi, the new national women’s basketball league. Tauihi means “to soar” and basketball was clipping nobody’s wings with the announcement of pay equity for the wāhine straight out the gate.

A sellout crowd in Christchurch, got to host the inaugural match between the Southern Hoiho and the Mainland Pouākai on Wednesday night. With the Pouākai proving too strong, taking the match 73-63. Now, my hometown get’s their turn, with the Tokomanawa Queens welcoming the Whai at Te Rauparaha Arena in Porirua. With tip off (is that what you say?) at 3pm on Saturday. I have taken my chance to buy in to this moment and purchased a season pass for my Queens. I am too excited to pick up and wear my lanyard with pride.

I assume the secret to success is still water and players will be able to stretch themselves in ways that defy physics.

But I’m going to be honest with you, everything I know about basketball I learnt while watching Space Jam back in 1996. After which I, like every other kid in the 90s, spent the rest of my childhood wearing Chicago Bulls merch.

Spot baby Alice in my school photo proudly in the Bulls tee I wore til it literally fell to pieces.

So I am going to head along tomorrow and be an enthusiastic novice, there to learn and get hype for a whole other sport.

The great thing is the Tokomanawa Queens so far have made it super easy to be a fan. As a loud women’s sports person in Wellington, the legendary Megan Compain hit me up to let me know the league was kicking off and invite me along to a match.

After being notified that this sport was happening, I jumped on their socials and ooooooh I hope other codes are taking note! I’ve had a series of individual player announcements which look slick and give me fast facts on each of them. They have a highlight of each of the players at the top of their instagram page so I can geek out and find out more about them as the season goes on.

They published the schedule early with, oh my goodness, MULTIPLE home games. Letting us know where to tune in if you can’t catch it live. They also had a range of ticket options to allow fans to buy in. A season pass, which gives me 6 home games, voting rights on player of the season and a fancy lanyard cost a very achievable $60.

Home games here will be split between TSB and Te Rauparaha Arena and a partnership with Garage Project means I will be able to enjoy a proper beer!

And yes, basketball has a natural advantage, not only in warm indoor venue for a winter sport but also it’s inherit style. The Tauihi league oozes it and all the teams kits are effortlessly cool. Sell me team merch now please and thank you.

I mean, you would think all of this would be basics and yet, I got none of it for my Super Rugby Aupiki side. Yes, the bar is super low for women’s sports in Aotearoa but basketball, at least, is doing their part to lift it.

So all this to say, I’m going to take pleasure in being a fan this weekend. Of my team, of this league but also the step forward it represents for women’s sports in general. If you free, you should join me!

COME ON TOKOMANAWA!!!

With you,

Alice