Auckland Tuatara star Reuben Te Rangi has been confirmed as the captain of the Tall Blacks side to contest the FIBA World Cup in the Philippines.
Te Rangi completed his first season with the Tuatara and lived up to expectations as he helped carry the side to a second straight Sal’s NBL Grand Final.
The 52-test veteran was named in the 14-strong side to contest warm-up games through to and including the World Cup, where the Kiwi side is set to face the United States, Greece and Jordan.
Having missed the 2019 tournament through injury, Te Rangi is looking forward to the opportunity to play at a World Cup.
“I was definitely gutted to miss out on the 2019 World Cup due to injury, but I was able to be part of their preparations in Sydney – and to witness the growth of the team during that time was just amazing to watch,” he said.
“Looking forward that’s what I’m most excited about, us continuing to grow as a squad. The belief and the culture in this team is unmatched, what we stand for and what we play for. We play every single game to win but also know how to enjoy these big moments and have fun.”
Te Rangi believes the level of competition in this World Cup is going to be “huge” and a challenge for the squad that the players and coaches alike are excited for.
“Obviously we’re going over to win games and show the world how we play. This next month is important for us; building and working on the things we want to improve on – we’ll be playing against the best players in the world at the World Cup, so we need to be at our absolute best. It’ll an awesome test for our team that we can’t wait for it.”
Te Rangi’s Tuatara coach Aaron Young will serve as an assistant coach of the side while former Tuatara player Dan Fotu has also made the final squad after a strong season with the Franklin Bulls.
Exciting youngster Charlie Dalton was called into the squad as a training partner in Auckland after a break-out campaign with the Tuatara.