How about the rest of Oceania?

[alermac]

Is there any basketball in Oceania outside of Australia and New Zealand? Are there national teams that play for anything? Any decent players in pro leagues anywhere? Just how far behind are Fiji and the others from the big two NT's from Oceania?

Too many questions, I know:D , but I was surprised to see that only AUS and NZ compete in Oceanian championships... at least give the others the chance to get crushed...

[Saskibaloia]

New Caledonia is the only country that I could think of that could challenge "The Boomers" (Australians) or "The Tall Blacks" (New Zealanders) in the future (approximately 6 years time).
I have been reading articles from australiabasket.com and they always post articles on the success of their New Caledonians in the French semi pro leagues. In addition, at time the French basketball federation puts some money and sends some coaches to New Caledonia.
Hence, through the adding of the few overseas based players and quality coaches or coaching you can see that through time New Caledonia may someday be able to do some damage against the two giants.

[donmar]

It would be funny to see those big Samoans or Fijians or Tongans dunking over their opponents...:D

[Saskibaloia]

It would be funny to see those big Samoans or Fijians or Tongans dunking over their opponents...:D


Bro ... don´t laugh sometimes some of them here in Sydney have some pretty good low post moves BUT ... can´t jump :D

[donmar]

Bro ... don´t laugh sometimes some of them here in Sydney have some pretty good low post moves BUT ... can´t jump :D

Same as here in New Zealand! :D

[Sit]

With the Islander nations... rugby is probably heaps more popular with them... but i do know of PNG dudes who played bball and they were hella good just cause they are huge... one of my coahces was PNG... he is 6'1" but is really really big... like a mini Shaq... he once got hit by a car and instead of getting hurt, he put a dent in the car...

He could run pretty fast... 100 m in 11-12 seconds... for someone that ssize... damn crazy... and he used to play SF back in the day...

Imagine a whole team of Shaqs lol...

[donmar]

With the Islander nations... rugby is probably heaps more popular with them... but i do know of PNG dudes who played bball and they were hella good just cause they are huge... one of my coahces was PNG... he is 6'1" but is really really big... like a mini Shaq... he once got hit by a car and instead of getting hurt, he put a dent in the car...

He could run pretty fast... 100 m in 11-12 seconds... for someone that ssize... damn crazy... and he used to play SF back in the day...

Imagine a whole team of Shaqs lol...


That's what I'm talking about a whole team of Shaqs :D ...that would be awesome!!!...

and yes rugby union is the most popular sports for the Pacific Islanders... the PNG is probably between soccer and basketball... or possibly rugby league... I have no idea!

[Saskibaloia]

That's what I'm talking about a whole team of Shaqs :D ...that would be awesome!!!...

and yes rugby union is the most popular sports for the Pacific Islanders... the PNG is probably between soccer and basketball... or possibly rugby league... I have no idea!


What I have heard is that in PNG Rugby League is KING!

[Sit]

League isn't a bad game lol... but I love basketball more!

Anyways... just thinking again, those PNG guys were just massive lol

Maybe someone can go and try and get a team together :D

[Saskibaloia]

League isn't a bad game

Mind you I LOVE MY RUGBY LEAGUE ... that is only to play ... to watch ... hmmm... not sooo much of a fan ... I would rather watch football (soccer)

To any Rugby Union players out there ... well here´s some sledging (trash talking) just for fun ... LEARN TO BE A MAN and PLAY RUGBY LEAGUE ... well you´d probably reply back with ... LEARN TO HAVE SOME BRAINS and PLAY RUGBY UNION ... :D

For me, to play: 1. Basketball 2. Rugby League 3. Football
For me, to watch: 1. Basketball 2. Football 3. Rugby Union

[donmar]

Mind you I LOVE MY RUGBY LEAGUE ... that is only to play ... to watch ... hmmm... not sooo much of a fan ... I would rather watch football (soccer)

To any Rugby Union players out there ... well here´s some sledging (trash talking) just for fun ... LEARN TO BE A MAN and PLAY RUGBY LEAGUE ... well you´d probably reply back with ... LEARN TO HAVE SOME BRAINS and PLAY RUGBY UNION ... :D

For me, to play: 1. Basketball 2. Rugby League 3. Football
For me, to watch: 1. Basketball 2. Football 3. Rugby Union


LEARN TO HAVE SOME BRAINS and PLAY RUGBY UNION ... :D (hehehehe!!!. just joking! :D) .... I think you get more financial security as a rugby league player than being a rugby union player... that's why NZ is losing lots of its world-class rugby union players (All Blacks) to Europe...

mine is, to watch and play: 1. Basketball 2. Football (Soccer) 3. Rugby League 4. Rugby Union

[Saskibaloia]

I think you get more financial security as a rugby league player than being a rugby union player...

That´s true, however, the appealing factor for Rugby League players to transfer is the internationalism of Rugby Union in comparison to Rugby League.

More or lesss only 3 countries take Rugby League seriously (England, Australia and New Zealand) in comparison to Rugby Union where there is more or less 9 countries (Argentina, Australia, England, France, Ireland, New Zealand Scotland, South Africa and Wales).

The best example was in the 2003 Rugby World Cup Final (Australia) when Australia took on England and Rugby League´s Greatest Player ANDREW JOHNS watched the finals live and thought about the move to Rugby Union after witnessing the internationalism of Rugby Union.

Of course, the internationalism of Rugby Union in comparison to basketball or football is nothing but it is quite solid and the gap between having 9 countries playing competitively in comparison to only 3 countries is a HUGE difference.

[donmar]

That´s true, however, the appealing factor for Rugby League players to transfer is the internationalism of Rugby Union in comparison to Rugby League.

More or lesss only 3 countries take Rugby League seriously (England, Australia and New Zealand) in comparison to Rugby Union where there is more or less 9 countries (Argentina, Australia, England, France, Ireland, New Zealand Scotland, South Africa and Wales).

The best example was in the 2003 Rugby World Cup Final (Australia) when Australia took on England and Rugby League´s Greatest Player ANDREW JOHNS watched the finals live and thought about the move to Rugby Union after witnessing the internationalism of Rugby Union.

Of course, the internationalism of Rugby Union in comparison to basketball or football is nothing but it is quite solid and the gap between having 9 countries playing competitively in comparison to only 3 countries is a HUGE difference.


Yeah I agree... Rugby Union is indeed successful in internationalism of its sport but in terms of club professionalism Rugby League is more successful... but for me.. both sports are great to watch!

[Sit]

Yep, Union being international makes player wanna switch codes. I always think its funny whenever a big name league player thinks about switching codes, it seems they have a pretty pretty good chance of making the Union International Squad.

I wanted Lote to come back to the Broncos... all he wanted was money :(

[Holy Hand Grenade]

There already are a couple of Tongans (well, half-Tongans... officially) playing for other national teams-- Paul Khourry of Lebanon and Paulasi Taulava of the Philippines.

[Cool_Enz]

Is it possible to form a combined South Pacific Islands team just like the West Indies in cricket? Though they are still way way behind Oceania giants Australia and New Zealand in terms of competition, it would be interesting to see the best of the Islands play together in a combined team. Maybe they can be called the Pac5 or simply the Islanders. :D

[Saskibaloia]

Is it possible to form a combined South Pacific Islands team just like the West Indies in cricket? Though they are still way way behind Oceania giants Australia and New Zealand in terms of competition, it would be interesting to see the best of the Islands play together in a combined team. Maybe they can be called the Pac5 or simply the Islanders. :D

lol :D if they did such a thing it would be HELL. Think of it putting together a combined team from all the English speaking countries in the world. Better still a football team from Mexico, Argentina and Spain. I am sure they all get along (well sometimes) but they would prefer to represent their own country rather than a region. However, there is such a possibility because they have done this before for a Under 18s international basketball tournament here in Sydney. The combined team was named Oceania and led by a New Caledonian head coach. This is combining has also occured in Rugby Union in2004.

[donmar]

lol :D if they did such a thing it would be HELL. Think of it putting together a combined team from all the English speaking countries in the world. Better still a football team from Mexico, Argentina and Spain. I am sure they all get along (well sometimes) but they would prefer to represent their own country rather than a region. However, there is such a possibility because they have done this before for a Under 18s international basketball tournament here in Sydney. The combined team was named Oceania and led by a New Caledonian head coach. This is combining has also occured in Rugby Union in2004.

I remember the 2004 Pacific Island Rugby Team (Polynesian/Melanesian All-Stars) playing against the SANZAR powers... Overall, I think its quiet unfair for the Pacific Islands countries that many of its players moved to Australia and New Zealand... and then ended up playing for the Wallabies and especially the All Blacks...

About the Pacific Island Basketball Team... that would be difficult since basketball in Oceania centred in Australia (as far as I'm concern... its already developed) and New Zealand (basketball is still developing in grassroot level) while basketball outside these two countries are low-profile and under developed... and right now only two countries are competing for the FIBA Oceania Championship (but I think there's one Oceania tournament before the end of the 1990s that Tonga or Fiji field a team against Australia and New Zealand... not sure though:confused:)