04/04/2006
News
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AUS - 2006/07 NBL season tips-off on September 20
SYDNEY (NBL) - The National Basketball League (NBL) will open the 2006/07 Philips Championship season on September 20 this year with the first game of the new campaign set to be played in Singapore.
The NBL has added a new Singapore-based team to the competition as well as a second Melbourne-based franchise, the South Dragons, to bring its total number of teams to 12 for the 2006/07 Philips Championship season.
The new team out of Singapore, whose name and colours will be revealed in the coming weeks, will have the honour of opening the season on 20 September when they host the Adelaide 36ers at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
The introduction of a team in Singapore will see Philips Championship games played in three countries. Action in Australia will tip-off on September 22 when the Townsville Crocodiles host the Sydney Kings at 'the Swamp'.
The first match in New Zealand for the new season will also be the inaugural game for the South Dragons, when they travel to Auckland on 26 September to meet the NZ Breakers.
The Melbourne Tigers will open their title defence on 23 September when they host the Cairns Taipans at 'the Cage'.
NBL General Manager Chuck Harmison said the move back to a 12-team competition had brought with it a much more balanced schedule.
"Expanding to a 12-team league for the 2006/07 season has been a major step forward for the Philips Championship, as has adding a team in Singapore," said Harmison.
"It has allowed us to move back to a much more desirable 33-game schedule where teams play each other three-times during the course of the season. That provides us with an even fairer competition and one that we believe the fans will respond well to."
The new fixture will also see regular season Philips Championship action taken to Canberra as well as a number of regional areas of Australia including Albury, Coffs Harbour and the New South Wales Central Coast.
Mark Howard
The NBL has added a new Singapore-based team to the competition as well as a second Melbourne-based franchise, the South Dragons, to bring its total number of teams to 12 for the 2006/07 Philips Championship season.
The new team out of Singapore, whose name and colours will be revealed in the coming weeks, will have the honour of opening the season on 20 September when they host the Adelaide 36ers at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
The introduction of a team in Singapore will see Philips Championship games played in three countries. Action in Australia will tip-off on September 22 when the Townsville Crocodiles host the Sydney Kings at 'the Swamp'.
The first match in New Zealand for the new season will also be the inaugural game for the South Dragons, when they travel to Auckland on 26 September to meet the NZ Breakers.
The Melbourne Tigers will open their title defence on 23 September when they host the Cairns Taipans at 'the Cage'.
NBL General Manager Chuck Harmison said the move back to a 12-team competition had brought with it a much more balanced schedule.
"Expanding to a 12-team league for the 2006/07 season has been a major step forward for the Philips Championship, as has adding a team in Singapore," said Harmison.
"It has allowed us to move back to a much more desirable 33-game schedule where teams play each other three-times during the course of the season. That provides us with an even fairer competition and one that we believe the fans will respond well to."
The new fixture will also see regular season Philips Championship action taken to Canberra as well as a number of regional areas of Australia including Albury, Coffs Harbour and the New South Wales Central Coast.
Mark Howard
