Musashi brings South Auckland together for basketball tournament

Musashi Sports Nutrition brought the South Auckland community together for a street-style basketball tournament last weekend.

The inaugural Musashi All Stars 3v3 event was held on May 9. It was run in partnership with Musashi’s ambassador and rugby league player Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.

Tuivasa-Sheck conceptualised the event, inspired by the fast-paced, competitive nature of street-style basketball.

He says the event was about creating something authentic for the community. 

“The idea behind Musashi All Stars 3v3 was to create a space where people could come together through sport, compete, connect and just enjoy being part of something positive. 

“To have Musashi get behind the vision and help bring it to life was massive. They understood what we were trying to achieve from day one and backed us to create an event that gave local athletes a platform and brought good energy to the community.”

Everyday athletes vs elite talent

Over 550 free tickets were allocated ahead of the Musashi All Stars.

The event itself saw everyday athletes compete against elite sporting talent, with 10 challenger teams and six All Stars. Thirty-six players took to the court across the day.

Tuivasa-Sheck’s brother Johnny led the social strategy and content rollout. The event also involved One NZ Warriors’ Demetric Vaimauga, Breakers players Sam Mennenga and Alex McNaught (who is also a referee), as well as content creators Brook Ruscoe, Jordan River and Caio Monte-Negro.

Flava host Hadz was the MC and Mai FM DJ Jordan Lee provided the live music. There was also Musashi product sampling, including the new Musashi Pineapple Energy drink. 

Backing performance

Musashi senior brand manager, sports NZ Andrew Haylett says the event reflected the brand’s commitment to supporting athletes at every level. 

“Musashi has always been about backing performance, whether that’s at the elite level or in everyday sport. What made Musashi All Stars 3v3 so special was the way it brought those worlds together – professional athletes, local players and the wider South Auckland community all sharing the same court. 

“Roger came to us with a strong vision for an event that would genuinely give back to the community and create opportunities for athletes to showcase themselves. We were proud to help bring that idea to life, fuel the athletes on the day and support something that created a great atmosphere and strong community engagement.” 

Tuivasa-Sheck adds: “Seeing the turnout, the atmosphere and the way everyone got behind it on the day showed exactly why events like this matter.” 

Credits: 

Client Partner: Musashi NZ (in partnership with Roger Tuivasa-Sheck) 

PR, experiential, influencer Agency: Eleven PR 

Social: Johnny Tuivasa-Sheck

Venue: Ōtara Leisure Centre