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by New Zealand Broadcasting School students

Is Rugby Losing the Battle to Basketball?

Sport

Alex Colenso

Rugby in New Zealand has been facing trouble for a while now, while a new sport has been growing at a rapid rate.

New Zealand's beloved national sport is in unfamiliar territory. It's not just the drop off in success of the national side, but the general downward slide in youth registrations. Even the country's heart of rugby, Canterbury has been struggling.

Meanwhile it's been an American favourite, Basketball, becoming the sport of choice. But how has it become so popular? And what are rugby doing to draw people back to the sport?