It’s Jack Jumpers onthe Derwent

NBL team’s nickname firms

THE redeveloped Derwent Entertainment Centre will transform into the “ant hill” when Tasmania’s NBL team is revealed as the Jack Jumpers.

While the official unveiling will take place Friday, it is believed Jack Jumpers has beaten Tridents as the moniker of the state’s side.

The two options were the last from a short list of five, and speculation has been swirling for the past week that Jack Jumpers had won the race.

Last Thursday, previously unseen Jack Jumpers branding surfaced on what appeared to be the team’s website development page, but was pulled down a short time later.

On Wednesday a page on social media site Twitter featuring the same branding also surfaced.

When contacted by the Mercury, a NBL spokesman refused to confirm or deny whether Jack Jumpers was Tasmania’ s team name.

Hobart Chargers coach Anthony Stewart—a big advocate for the Jack Jumpers— said although there would be plenty of scepticism about the choice of name, it was the only name resonating with children at his basketball clinics.

“I go into several schools a week, whether it be through theNBL 1 community program or the college athlete development programs,” Stewart said. “The one thing I have been doing is exploring what name the kids like, and for me it has been overwhelmingly the Jack Jumpers that has shone for the young kids right across the community.

“That’s your market; they are the people who are going to buy the tickets.”

Popular suggestions Devils and Tigers were not considered by the NBL as they are associated with AFL and cricket in the state.

However, despite Tasmania’ s rugby union side being called the Jack Jumpers since 2000, it had not been trademarked.

TRU president Ebony Altimira said she was disappointed the association had not been consulted during the NBL naming process, but hoped it would still be able to use the nickname.

“Unfortunately we don’t have the naming rights, when they (the NBL) first looked into it they jumped on to it straight away ,” Al tim ira said.

“Being the volunteer organisation we are, it was something that was overlooked over the years.

“We have it as a registered business name but hadn’t patented it.

“We were hopeful we might be able to negotiate or discuss with them but haven’t been able to.

“It is disappointing but we still hope that conversation can be had so we can workout away to both use the name .”