Otago Nuggets

The Otago Nuggets are a New Zealand basketball team based in Dunedin. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at the Edgar Centre. For sponsorship reasons, they are known as the Fluid Recruitment Otago Nuggets.

Otago Nuggets
LeaguesNBL
Founded1990
HistoryOtago Nuggets
1990–2008; 2010–2014; 2020–present
ArenaEdgar Centre
LocationDunedin, Otago,
New Zealand
Team colorsNavy blue, sky blue, gold
Main sponsorFluid Recruitment
PresidentAngela Ruske (spokeswoman)
Head coachBrent Matehaere
Championships0

Team history

The Nuggets entered the National Basketball League (NBL) for the first time in 1990. After finishing in the top six in five of their first eight seasons, and making the semi-finals three times in that span,[1] the Nuggets finished in the bottom four in their next 14 seasons, including being perennial wooden spooners.[2] Following a tumultuous 2008 season, where the Nuggets collected their fourth consecutive wooden spoon and had mass player turnover throughout the year,[3] Basketball Otago withdrew the Nuggets from the 2009 season, citing financial concerns.[4] They returned to the league in 2010[5] and subsequently finished with a winless record (0–18), becoming just the third team in NBL history to finish a season without a win (joining the 1998 Northland Suns and the 2009 Taranaki Mountainairs).[6] The Nuggets also had a 33-game losing streak that spanned April 2008 to May 2011.[7][8]

In 2013, the Nuggets made it to the post-season for the first time since 1997.[1] They finished the regular season in second place with a 12–4 record,[9] before losing 87–72 to the Nelson Giants in the semifinal.[10][11] In 2014, the Nuggets missed the finals with a 7–11 record.

In November 2014, Basketball Otago withdrew the Nuggets from the NBL for a second time.[12][13] In September 2015, Basketball Otago announced their decision to keep the Nuggets out of the NBL in 2016, looking instead to bringing them back in 2017.[14] However, in September 2016, they opted not to apply for a position in the 2017 competition.[15][16] In February 2018, plans to resurrect the Nuggets were further put on hold.[17]

In April 2019, Basketball Otago were granted approval to make an NBL bid for the 2020 season.[18] The Nuggets were granted provisional entry back into the NBL in July 2019,[19] but the following month, their formal entry was deferred to the 2021 season, with both the league and the organisation feeling an additional 12 months would help the team to better lay the foundations needed for success.[20] However, in May 2020, the Nuggets formally returned to the league in a 2020 competition that was revised and modified following the coronavirus pandemic.[21][22][23]

Current roster

Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationality not displayed.

Otago Nuggets roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.No.Nat.NameHt.
4 Knox, Darcy
5 Hayman, Benoit
6 Kenny, Jarrod (C)
7 Bardsley, Matthew
8 Aruwa, Samuel
10 Rodger, Richard
11 Ngatai, Jordan
13 Aitcheson, Joshua
14 Mcbirney-Griffin, Akiva
15 Hunt, Jordan
20 Keil, Kane
21 Andrew, Jack
Head coach
  • Brent Matehaere
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Development player
  • (I) Import player
  • Injured
Updated: 24 June 2020

References
  1. Woodcock, Fred (23 May 2013). "Otago Nuggets the new golden boys of NBL". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  2. "2015 Bartercard National Basketball League Handbook" (PDF). basketball.org.nz. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 September 2015.
  3. Seconi, Adrian (11 June 2008). "Basketball: Otago Nuggets' season in review". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  4. Seconi, Adrian (12 June 2013). "Basketball: Money makes the Nuggets go round". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  5. "Basketball Otago Announces New Corporate Partnership For Otago Nuggets 2010 Season". Voxy.co.nz. 15 October 2009. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  6. Seconi, Adrian (31 May 2010). "Basketball: Nuggets closing on unwanted record". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  7. Seconi, Adrian (21 May 2011). "Otago Nuggets break 33-game losing streak". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  8. Preston, Scott; Anderson, Ian (21 May 2011). "Otago Nuggets end 33-game NBL losing streak". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  9. "Ladder for 2013 Bartercard National Basketball League". SportsTG.com. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  10. "Basketball: Nuggets fall to Giants in semifinal". Otago Daily Times. 13 July 2013. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  11. Seconi, Adrian (15 July 2013). "Basketball: Dickel - We didn't play well enough". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  12. Seconi, Adrian (11 November 2014). "Nuggets pull out of NBL". Otago Daily Times. Archived from the original on 11 November 2014.
  13. Seconi, Adrian (11 November 2014). "Basketball: Nuggets 'right to pull pin'". Otago Daily Times. Archived from the original on 11 November 2014.
  14. Seconi, Adrian (19 September 2015). "Basketball: Otago Nuggets targeting NBL comeback in 2017". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  15. "Basketball: Otago Nuggets taking cautious approach to NBL return". The New Zealand Herald. 22 September 2016. Retrieved 22 September 2016.
  16. Cheshire, Jeff (22 September 2016). "Softly, softly in rebuilding the Nuggets". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 22 September 2016.
  17. Seconi, Adrian (14 February 2018). "Plans to resurrect Otago Nuggets put on the backburner". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  18. Cheshire, Jeff (27 April 2019). "Otago wins approval to make NBL bid". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  19. "OTAGO NUGGETS SET FOR RETURN TO THE NBL". nznbl.basketball. 4 July 2019. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  20. "OTAGO NUGGETS TARGET 2021 FOR NBL RETURN". nznbl.basketball. 7 August 2019. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
  21. Seconi, Adrian (16 May 2020). "Nuggets could return soon to rejigged national league". odt.co.nz. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  22. "AUCKLAND TO HOST 2020 SAL'S NBL, TIPPING OFF 23 JUNE". nznbl.basketball. 19 May 2020. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  23. "Seven teams confirmed for NBL basketball competition in June". Stuff.co.nz. 19 May 2020. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
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