University basketball team to play on the big stage as part of partnership deal with BBL club 27/01/11

The University of Chichester Thunder will feature in a basketball double-header this weekend alongside BBL club Worthing Thunder.

The University side will play their National League Division 4 South West match against Guernsey, which will be followed by Worthing Thunder’s British Basketball League (BBL) match against the Sheffield Sharks. The BBL is the UK’s premier basketball league, with games featuring regularly on Sky TV.

The two matches will take place at Worthing Leisure Centre, the home of Worthing Thunder, which usually attracts around 500 fans, making it one of the largest crowds that the University of Chichester Thunder will have played in front of.

The National League game will tip off at 5.00pm, while the BBL match will start at 7.30pm. Fans can see both games for just £5 for adults and £2 for children.

The opportunity for the University of Chichester Thunder to play at Worthing Leisure Centre has come as a result of a partnership agreement between the clubs, giving the University players a route to the top level of UK basketball while continuing their studies at the West Sussex institution.

The University side has become an official ‘nursery’ team for Worthing Thunder, meaning University players can now be signed to play for both teams if they are good enough to play at BBL standard. It is widely expected a number of Chichester players will feature in the Worthing Thunder squad before the end of the season.

The University of Chichester Thunder will also play at the Worthing Leisure Centre on 26 February when they take on the Taunton Tigers.

Sid Fletcher, Sports Development Manager for the University of Chichester Students’ Union, said: “I am pleased we have been able to build our relationship with Worthing Thunder to a level where they have agreed to adopt us as an official nursery team. This gives us a strong base on which we can build our development work, which is designed to give our players the opportunity to be coached and play at the highest level possible, while continuing to study at University.”