Basketball Queensland withdraw RedCity Roar from NBL1 North competition

Queensland’s elite senior basketball competition, the NBL1 North, will have one less team competing in 2024 after Basketball Queensland denied a club’s nomination for next season.

RedCity Roar competing in the NBL1 North competition. Picture: B.Rad Sports Photography

Queensland’s elite senior basketball competition will have one less team competing in 2024 after Basketball Queensland denied a club’s nomination for next season.

Basketball Queensland officials informed RedCity Roar, based in Redlands, that it would not compete in the NBL1 North next season.

The decision means RedCity’s exit comes after just three seasons in the competition.

Basketball Queensland CEO Joshua Pascoe said the club failed to meet the criteria to compete in the NBL1.

“Basketball Queensland assess all nominations against a set of criteria to determine whether an association is eligible to compete within the NBL1 North competition,” he said.

“These criteria include a set of governance and operational requirements that are essential for associations to meet to be admitted.

“RedCity Roar failed to meet a number of these criteria, including having the ability to meet all financial commitments to Basketball Queensland.

“RedCity Roar will be eligible to reapply for nomination for the 2025 NBL1 North Season and remain eligible to nominate into all other Basketball Queensland competitions at this time.”

Mr Pascoe also confirmed the decision could not be appealed.

RedCity, formerly Redlands PCYC before it was rebranded in 2019, first played in Queensland’s top tier during a revamped Queensland State League season following the Covid pandemic before being included in the NBL1 North in 2021.

RedCity competing in the NBL1 North competition. Picture: B.Rad Sports Photography

RedCity President Craig Oldfield said he was saddened by the decision.

“Redland City has a population of over 160,000 and since RedCity took over the PCYC basketball program in September 2019, the association has grown in membership by nearly 400 per cent,” he said.

“This is despite two lengthy Covid shutdowns that occurred just months into our existence that should have closed us down.

“There’s no doubt that our entry into the top competition was a bit of luck, a bit of good management and a lot of good contacts/relationships.

“We hadn’t forecast an entry into that level for at least three more years.

“But we took the plunge and completed our pathway for RedCity kids from Cubs (under-8s) all the way through to NBL1.

“We could keep local athletes here for their basketball career should they want to do so, this decision chops the top off the pyramid.

“Once talented athletes reach bottom age under-16s and are considering orplanning their future, they need to look outside RedCity and move there so they can get a good opportunity to earn a spot in other semi-pro programs.

“This talent leak out has been a genuine issue for Redlands basketball for over 30 years and as a result we also lose talented coaches, officials, support staff and valued partners.

“The true ripple effect of this simply cannot be quantified because these resources are literally priceless.

“I am in feverish discussions with my team now to get our strategy in place because RedCity will come roaring back.

“We owe it to our kids, we owe it to our community and valued partners, we owe it to the game of basketball, so watch out.”

RedCity’s omission from the NBL1 North leaves 15 teams set to compete in 2024.