Revealed: Australian Boomers and Opals to play internationals v New Zealand in South Australia

Adelaide is set to host the first Australian men’s basketball internationals outside Victoria since 2019, with both the Boomers and Opals set to hit South Australia later this year. See the details.

Izzy Borlase and Isaac Humphries could be among the Aussie stars to step out for the Opals and Boomers in Adelaide.

The Boomers and Opals are set to descend on Adelaide.

Code Sports has learned Australia’s men’s and women’s national basketball teams will each play games in the City of Churches, facing off against traditional rivals New Zealand in May.

There has been some frustration in the Australian basketball community in recent years that international games have been concentrated on the country’s hoops epicentre, Victoria.

Melbourne has hosted the last three major Boomers events, while several games have been held across regional Victoria, with a pair of FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers slated in country town Traralgon, later this month.

Adelaide 36ers captain Dejan Vasiljevic could be among the players who represent the green and gold during the SA games. Picture: Getty Images

Isobel Borlase is an SA-born Olympic bronze medallist with the Australian Opals. Picture: Adam Head

Neither the Opals, nor the Boomers, have played outside of Victoria since 2023, when the women won Asia Cup bronze in Sydney.

The last Boomers games outside of Victoria were way back in August 2019 when, the Aussies played two World Cup warm ups against Canada at Perth’s RAC Arena.

The arrival of international basketball in the state is a massive boon, given an exploding participation rate and a growing obsession with the Adelaide 36ers – where young Boomers leader Josh Giddey began his professional career as a Next Star.

Despite a six-year playoff drought, the 36ers have become results proof, topping 6000 members this season and selling out all 14 home games at Adelaide Entertainment Centre.

Depending on off-season opportunity, the likes of Sixers stars Dejan Vasiljevic and Isaac Humphries could suit up for the Boomers, while Adelaide Lightning Paris bronze medallist Izzy Borlase could rep the Opals.

Latest AusPlay stats reveal there were more than 100,000 active basketballers in South Australia, last financial year.

South Australia has produced some of Australia’s greatest men’s and women’s basketballers.

Tokyo bronze medallist Joe Ingles, one of the NBA’s great stories, was born in Happy Valley, while past greats like Mark Bradtke and Brett Maher began their basketball journeys in the state.

Legendary Opals names like Jan Stirling, Rachael Sporn and Michelle Brogan all hail from SA, as do Paris Olympic bronze medallists Tess Madgen and Cayla George.

Originally published as Revealed: Australian Boomers and Opals to play internationals v New Zealand in South Australia