Indigenous Referee to Debut During Indigenous Round

The NBL’s first female Indigenous referee Jacqui Dover will make her debut during NBL Indigenous Round later this month.
 
Indigenous Round will be staged across Round 20 of the 2020-21 Hungry Jack’s NBL Season and recognise and acknowledge Indigenous culture and basketball across Australia and New Zealand.
 
A proud Yugambeh woman, Dover earned her opportunity after working as a referee in the WNBL. She recently joined Basketball NSW as its Indigenous, Cultural and Linguistically Diverse Programs Manager.

 
NBL Indigenous Round will coincide with National Reconciliation Week and follows the success of last year’s inaugural round with all nine NBL Clubs to again wear uniforms designed by local Indigenous artists.

Proceeds from NBL Indigenous Round jersey sales at nblstore.com.au will be invested in the development of the League’s new Indigenous pathway programs, focused around player recruitment, development and retention.
 
All games will commence with either a Welcome to Country or an Acknowledgement of Country and other integrations and activities. Members of various Indigenous communities from around the country will also be invited to games.
 
The NBL has designed a new logo to mark the round based in partnership with Indigenous artist Chern’ee Sutton who was commissioned by the League to paint a new work to mark the occasion. 

NBL Commissioner Jeremy Loeliger said: “We want to ensure the NBL’s Indigenous Round is meaningful, impactful, and makes a significant positive influence for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on and off the basketball court.
 
“Since our inaugural Indigenous Round last season, the NBL has made important steps towards reconciliation and developing pathways for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players.
 
“Our inaugural Reconciliation Action Plan launched last year includes a number of commitments to increase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander player recruitment, retention and professional development.
 
“Basketball has been enriched by the contribution of Indigenous players, coaches, referees and administrators across Australia and New Zealand and we will proudly celebrate this during Indigenous Round.
 
“We are delighted to announce that Jacqui Dover will make her debut as an NBL referee during Indigenous Round. Jacqui thoroughly deserves this opportunity and we wish her all the best for what we hope will be a long career ahead as an NBL referee.”
 
Brisbane’s Tamuri Wigness is one of four Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players currently playing in the NBL along with Nate Jawai (Cairns), Keanu Pinder (Adelaide) and William McDowell-White (New Zealand).
 
Wigness said: “It really gives me pride that we get to acknowledge our people. I get to have my family on my back, not just my Bullets family but I’ll also have my people and my culture with me as well.
 
“For the entire NBL to acknowledge the Indigenous people of Australia is great but this is about education and awareness as well.  This round will provide the Indigenous community with so much inspiration to strive to be an NBL player. I can guarantee all the Indigenous kids around the country will be watching.
 
“The Brisbane Bullets jersey that I will be wearing recognises speed, strength and accuracy which are three major elements that we need to take into every game.”  
 
Indigenous Round tips off on Wednesday May 26 when the Cairns Taipans host the Brisbane Bullets at the Cairns Pop-Up Arena. Adelaide and Brisbane will wear their Indigenous jerseys for their Round 19 home games.