Breakers may hit the road for home games

The Breakers are not done changing things up. After remaking their roster for 2018-19, the Kiwi Australian NBL club is now looking to take up to four ‘‘home’’ games on the road in New Zealand. The club is still working through the logistics of its schedule for next season, including venues, but Stuff understands it is keen to stage multiple home games outside of Auckland, with Christchurch, Wellington and New Plymouth among potential venues being looked at. It comes as part of a desire to nationalise the Breakers brand under the new ownership group headed by American Matt Walsh. The Breakers played games in Christchurch, Wellington and Hamilton in 2003-04, but quickly moved away from the principle when players raised concerns they were negating their home advantage by doing so. Since then all regular season games have been in Auckland. Breakers general manager Dillon Boucher raised the prospect of some games being taken outside Auckland at the end of last season when crowd numbers at both Spark Arena and North Shore Events Centre had declined slightly against league trends. ‘‘We can’t be declining in a growth period for the NBL, and a growth period for basketball in general. We can’t exist that way any more. We need to turn over every rock,’’ Boucher told Stuff in February. ‘‘It’s not what the team necessarily wants but if we have to look at shifting games out of Auckland, we will.’’ It is understood that process has firmed, with discussions now taking place over potential venues. Any games being taken down country would rely on economic models stacking up, and also fulfilling league requirements around accessibility and size of venue. Christchurch has the most suitable facility outside of Auckland in Horncastle Arena, which can seat up to 7000 fans, and a strong basketball community as well.