The Otago basketball community was still reeling yesterday following last week’s revelation that SEN Teams had surrendered the playing licence for the Southern Hoiho.
Its decision to also walk away from the Nuggets has left both Dunedin-based teams facing an uncertain future.
The Nuggets have been here before, though.
They dropped out of the National Basketball League at the end of the 2008 season for a year. They ran into financial trouble again at the end of the 2014 season and were sidelined for five seasons.
Nuggets general manager Angela Ruske was influential in keeping the Nuggets’ flame burning during those five long years.
Her role with the franchise means she usually has to walk a diplomatic tightrope. But she dropped her guard long enough to tell the Otago Daily Times just how tough it has been.
‘‘It wasn’t until I had to share all the information [that it hit home],’’ Ruske said.
‘‘I’m not going to lie, it brings tears to my eyes.’’
‘‘It’s not because I don’t think there will be a Nuggets in the future. I really believe something will come of this being public.
‘‘But I think it’s because the last five years have finally caught up with me. And, you know, what we’ve been able to achieve with SEN in terms of player development, coach development, official development, everything that sort of happened as a result of having a team in the league.
‘‘That is really important.
‘‘But even more so the impact that we’ve had on the Dunedin community — when you get messages from fans saying how much their son or daughter has been impacted by just spending five minutes with a player who’s remembered their name and how much it’s really helped.
‘‘That’s where I feel like it’s just so important that we can keep both teams operating because it means so much to so many.’’
Ruske’s husband, Dean, and son Michael have both played for the Nuggets. It has been a shared passion and Ruske has an emotional stake in the team.
That is something former coach Alf Arlidge can relate to. He led the Nuggets from 2010 until 2013.
‘‘I’m gutted,’’ Arlidge said.
‘‘I’m at the end of my coaching career. I’ve got a few years left and I’m trying to do as much as I can.
‘‘But some kids are at the start and they have nothing to chase, no heroes, no dreams to chase.
‘‘It really affects the kids coming through our development programmes.
‘‘And from a personal point of view, I’ve been here before and it hurts a lot.’’
Nuggets small forward Josh Aitcheson, who is closing in on 100 games for the team, was disappointed but also very focused on the season ahead.
‘‘Obviously, it’s disappointing and a lot of people have put a lot of work into getting the Nuggets back,’’ Aitcheson said.
‘‘But we’re just focused on this season and SEN’s committed to having a good season this year. So we’re looking forward to that and we’re confident that moving forward something will happen so the Nuggets can continue.’’
Aitcheson was just emerging when the Nuggets dropped out of the league in 2014.
He made the junior Tall Blacks in 2017. But because there was no team in Dunedin, he drove to Invercargill three times a week to train with the Southland Sharks.
The following year he transferred to the Canterbury Rams.
‘‘It was poor timing. I was about to arrive on that scene and they left. I think that would have been really good for my development, so it’s cool to see some of these young guys being able to come in and get that opportunity that I wasn’t.
‘‘So I think it’s really important to keep the Nuggets in Dunedin for the development of these young guys.’’
