National Basketball Leagues Announce New Commission and Inaugural Board Members

The Sal’s NBL is pleased to announce the newly appointed members of the new National Basketball Leagues Limited (NBLL) Commission that will provide oversight and input into the Sal’s NBL, G.J. Gardner Basketball Aotearoa and the 3×3 Cup.

The makeup of the board is as follows:

1 x BBNZ Chief Executive

1 x BBNZ Board Member

1 x Elected NBL Team representative

1 x Elected Tauihi Team representative

3 x Appointed Members (independent)

1 x Sky TV representative (non-voting member and may rotate)

Please find an overview of the board members and their experience below:

Appointed Independent Representative and Board Chair – Tracey Garland

A former Tall Fern with experience playing professionally overseas, Tracey joins the Commission looking to repay the aroha and tautoko that she received as a player and coach. A qualified lawyer who has practiced internationally in Sydney and Dubai, she possesses a skill set that has allowed her to manage complex arguments and situations throughout her professional career. She is looking to give back to the game that provided her with so much as she steps into an oversight role.

NBL Elected Team Representative- Andrew Harrison

Andrew is the managing director of Koau Capital Partners Ltd which specialises in providing commercial support and collective investment solutions for Iwi and Maori institutional investors and has extensive experience reporting to boards over the last 20 years. He has been heavily involved in basketball for over a decade including re-establishing the Canterbury Rams franchise and helping found the Mainland Eagles Basketball Academy to contribute to the growth of basketball in Christchurch and across the country.

Tauihi Elected Team Representative – Angela Ruske

Angela is currently the General Manager for the Otago Nuggets and the Southern Hoiho and was integral in establishment of both teams in their current forms. She has gained invaluable experience at board level having been a member of the Basketball Otago Board for over 5 years, including serving as Board chair from 2018-2020, as well as serving as the Tauihi Team Board Representative in 2022.

Appointed Independent Representative – Chelsea Terei-Tipene

Currently the Director of Tukau Law and Consultancy, who specialise in Maori/Crown relations including Waitangi Tribunal, Negotiation and Settlement, Dispute Resolution and Marine & Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) proceedings and engagement. Chelsea joins the board with extensive experience as a player, having played age group basketball from the age of 13 while competing for both the Auckland and North Harbour Associations, where she won many national titles before debuting for the Tall Ferns in 2009. Still connected to the basketball community through coaching she see basketball as that can contribute to well being.

Appointed Independent Representative – Tom Abercrombie

Joining the Leagues Commission and looking to help contribute to the strong growth of the game of basketball in general, and the domestic competitions in particular, Tom joins the Commission having just completed a 16 year professional career, both in New Zealand and Internationally, that also included over 100 appearances for the Tall Blacks. The father of 3 three is also pursuing a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Management and looks forward to giving back to the game in a different way as he embarks on his post playing career.

BBNZ Board Member – Toko Kapea

Toko is a director of Tuia Group and a Partner of Tuia Legal Limited, a Wellington-based commercial law and business consulting firm that works primarily in the Māori economic development space. Toko has held numerous director roles including recently being a director of TVNZ Ltd. He holds extensive experience at the grassroots level as a player and volunteer through his support of his children’s interest in the game that continues to this day. He is still an avid hooper himself, mostly on his front yard hoop.

BBNZ Chief Executive – Dillon Boucher

The CEO of Basketball New Zealand, Dillon played in the NBL across 24 years and has enjoyed the governance side of basketball as he has guided the sport domestically since his appointment to the role in 2021.