Former assistant coach Mark Wrobel leads call for Southeast QLD WNBL team

A three-time wnbl championship assistant coach is leading the call for a southeast Queensland team to return to the league as Brisbane prepares to host a pre-season tournament to gauge interest from the public.

The Townsville Fire will headline the list of teams playing at the River City Rebounds WNBL pre-season tournament on October 12-15.

A three-time WNBL championship assistant coach is leading the growing call for a southeast Queensland team to return to the league for the first time in more than seven years.

Mark Wrobel, who has been both the head coach and assistant for the Townsville Fire, is the current CEO for the Northside Wizards and is preparing to host four WNBL teams for a pre-season tournament, labelled the River City Rebound, from October 12-15.

Defending champions the Townsville Fire headline the four teams playing at the event held at the Northside Indoor Sports Centre, with the Sydney Flames, Adelaide Lightning and Perth Lynx also to feature.

Wrobel said the River City Rebound was an opportunity for basketball fans in the region to show there was the interest in bringing a team to southeast Queensland for the first time since the SEQ Stars folded after the 2015/16 season.

Defending WNBL champions the Townsville Fire will headline the River City Rebound WNBL pre-season tournament in Brisbane. (Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images)

“The idea all snowballed from a discussion about trying to get some games here to assist the Brisbane-based referees to get some practice before the season,” he said.

“It then took shape really quickly to become a four team tournament.

“We attempted to look at a whole league pre-season but it was probably a stretch too far for this year but we will start planning towards that for hopefully next year.

Townsville Fire's Steph Reid. Picture: Evan Morgan

“This event gives the WNBL the perfect opportunity to dip its toe back into the Brisbane market.

“We are now the only professional women’s sport to not have a team based in our city and haven’t had any WNBL action in Brisbane since 2016

“To get a team back into this market it needs to be done in collaboration with the whole market, that’s why the clubs will be out visiting all of our city and promoting the game while they are here.”

Courtney Woods of the Fire. (Photo by James Worsfold/Getty Images)

As Wrobel mentioned, despite the tournament being hosted at the Northside Indoor Sports Centre, its purpose is to bring the WNBL back to the entire region with each club visiting local associations and schools throughout the week.

Southeast Queensland is the home to many WNBL stars, including the Fire’s Courtney Woods, who was an NBL1 Champion and MVP with the Wizards during the off-season.

Australian Opals star Tess Madgen and the Sydney Flames will compete at the River City Rebound. (Photo by ANDY CHEUNG / AFP)

However the region has had several failed franchises in the WNBL during the competition’s inception, including the Brisbane Blazers, which folded in 1998 followed by Logan-based clubs – Logan Thunder and the SEQ Stars.

“Basketball Queensland are excited to be able to support this showcase of talent from one of the world’s top women’s professional leagues – the WNBL,” Basketball Queensland CEO, Joshua Pascoe, said.

“With female participation in basketball growing at exponential rates and women’s sport

garnering increased media attention, we feel that this event is critical in highlighting that the

basketballers within the WNBL are not just some of the best athletes within in Australia, but

around the world too.”

This event is also supported by the Queensland Government, with Queensland Sport Minister Stirling Hinchliffe saying the River City Rebound Series was a terrific opportunity to see some of the nation’s best female basketballers in action.

Originally published as Former assistant coach Mark Wrobel leads call for Southeast QLD WNBL team