No season for Rockets, Cyclones: ‘They had to make a call’

Rocky Basketball manager Wade Rebetzke said cancellation was not unexpected.

Wade Rebetzke, Rockhampton Basketballs new manager.

BASKETBALL: The cancellation of the 2020 NBL1 season did not surprise Rockhampton Basketball general manager Wade Rebetzke.

The NBL in conjunction with Basketball Victoria, Basketball Queensland and Basketball South Australia yesterday announced the three conferences would not be played.

That means the Rockhampton Rockets and Cyclones will not take the court this year.

The decision follows the indefinite closure of indoor sports centres in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The conferences had already been postponed until May.

Rebetzke said while it was hard to swallow, the decision was not unexpected.

"With the current situation and what's been happening in the last week or two I'm probably not surprised," he said.

"They did need to make a call. We're talking about three states so it had to be uniform what we were doing.

 

Mary Goulding, Cyclones. QBL, Toowoomba Mountaineers vs Rockhampton Cyclones. Saturday, 6th Jul, 2019.

"It's the same for everyone at the moment - we're just trying to manage a bad situation.

"For us it's about keeping the association rolling so we're ready to go once we get the green light again."

Rebetzke said he had been in regular contact with the interstate and overseas players the Rockets and Cyclones had recruited.

Local training and competition had also been cancelled in the wake of coronavirus.

He said not having the two teams in action at Adani Arena would take some getting used to.

"It's a big part of a lot of people's lives that basketball season," he said.

"We've got about 900 players domestically and that disappointment's just been doubled by not being able to watch the Rockets and Cyclones.

"We have great corporate support in this town and we're talking with each and every business that supports us.

"Hopefully those businesses can continue to support us and the sport when we're playing again.

"Now it's time for us to support those businesses and that have supported us for a long time and help limit the damage to the economy locally," he said.