The Boomers take air to Wellington for Game Two

The Australian Boomers are on the road and have an opportunity to book a successful start to their World Qualification campaign. 

Step one was completed on Friday night with 2 x islands defended. 

Step two. Close the first window out with a win in New Zealand - Aotearoa tonight at TSB Arena, Wellington. 

The road continues in Wellington 

Australia will face the New Zealand Tall Blacks again on 1 December, this time in Wellington. 

Both games carry significant weight with an opportunity to put a strong stride forward in the Asia Qualifiers. A strong start across these two fixtures would give the Boomers early momentum on their path to the 2027 FIBA World Cup. 

Tournament context & qualification  

A total of 80 national teams from the four FIBA regions, Africa, Americas, Asia & Oceania and Europe will compete in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Qualifiers from November 2025 – March 2027. 

32 spots in total are available for the World Cup in 2027 which will be hosted in Doha, Qatar. 

16 teams will compete in the Asian Qualifiers for a total of seven spots. Qatar as the host nation, has automatically qualified. To secure one of the seven spots teams will need to progress through Two Rounds of Group stages. 

FIBA explainer available here. 

Vickerman leads a heavyweight coaching unit 

Head Coach Dean Vickerman once again takes the reins, bringing championship pedigree and trademark discipline to the national program.  

Vickerman recently guided the Boomers to a 2-1 series victory over New Zealand in the Trans-Tasman Throwdown in May, adding confidence ahead of the qualification window. 

The stakes for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup 

This double-header marks the first step on the qualification journey. Early wins will put the boomers in a commanding position within their group, which features: 

• New Zealand
• Philippines 
• Guam 

With limited games in each window, every result matters as Australia aim to secure a place in the 2027 FIBA World Cup.  

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