Tauranga’s SWISH Ballers Have Got Game

A group of Tauranga women is proving there is no age limit when it comes to playing basketball.

The SWISH walking basketball group, which stands for Senior Women Into Shooting Hoops, started in Tauranga in 2016, with about 12 people involved.

Fast forward to today, and SWISH has dozens of members and describe themselves as pioneers in New Zealand.

SWISH convenor Jill Hill says they started playing the walking basketball format, which is a modified low-impact version of the game, to provide women who enjoyed basketball with an opportunity to continue to play in their retirement years.

“We’ve retained so many of us olds that don’t play in the competitions anymore, so we started our own,” Jill says.

“I’m an old player from way back and it was something that I could do, walking basketball. It's not as easy as it sounds, it's great,” she says.

Today, SWISH has an overall squad of about 60 people aged 50-plus, with an average of 20 players getting together twice a week to play the sport they love.

“It has grown a lot. A lot of people come and try it, and some come, some go, and the atmosphere is fantastic, lots of laughs,” Jill says.

“We are very good at blending anybody in ... we’ve got some new ones, and they haven’t played before but by the time we give them a crash course, stick them on the court, they respond very well and there’s so many of us that are able to help out.”

Among them is a group of women over the age of 80 affectionately named the “Bandits” who wear brightly-coloured bands around their wrists. The other players are not allowed to defend against the Bandits within a metre, and the Bandits are given a free shot if they're in the middle.

This means the Bandits can get involved on court and not run the risk of being pushed over when things get a little bit competitive.

Jill is one of the Bandits – her love of basketball began when she first started playing in 1958, and it’s still going strong 67 years later.

“We do have two or three men that come along because they can't start their own grade, there's certain things that they can't do playing with us, but it works very well. We are very adaptable,” Jill says.

What sets this Tauranga group apart is that SWISH plays all year round, including a couple of tournaments each year “which are major events for us”.

“I’m very proud of what we’ve got here. We're pioneers in New Zealand,” Jill says.

In her time Jill has represented Tauranga and the Bay of Plenty in the sport, and she has coached at multiple levels from miniball, to taking Ōtūmoetai College to nationals, and the Tauranga women's team.

“I think I’ve done my bit,” she says.

Many of the women who are part of SWISH have either played with or been coached by Jill over the years. SWISH group leader Jenny Kirk is one of them.

“We’ve made a lot of new friends and of course we’re all pretty like-minded by enjoying the basketball. There’s just so many benefits, it's just something we want to keep being involved in and hopefully make over 80 like some of these ladies who have become real mentors for us,” Jenny says.

SWISH members get together twice a week – at the University of Waikato Haumaru Sport & Recreation Centre on Cameron Road in central Tauranga from 9.30am on Mondays, and at Mercury Baypark Arena at the same time on Thursdays. Bay Venues manages both facilities on behalf of Tauranga City Council.

“We’re very welcoming so if new people want to come along that’s fine. You just come when you can. There’s a couple of options, one in Tauranga [at Haumaru] on Monday mornings and one at [Mercury Baypark Arena] on Thursday mornings.

“We love our new facility in Tauranga, the Haumaru facility has worked out really well.”

Jenny says SWISH is “really good for your life” as it gives you a chance to enjoy some competition, have fun, build social connections and friendships, and keep active.

“We just really love it because you're actually using all the skills you’ve developed over the years; you’re passing, catching, having some shots and generally having a laugh and it’s really enjoyable.”

Jenny says SWISH also lifts “our expectations of what we can do when we get a little bit older”.

SWISH walking basketball is taking a break over the summer holiday period. They will be back at the University of Waikato Haumaru Sport & Recreation Centre on January 29, 2026 and Mercury Baypark Arena in February.