Tasmania’s new $20 million high-performance training centre for the JackJumpers and Jewels has officially opened in Kingston, giving the state’s elite basketball teams what coaches say is the best facility in the country.
The 3,365-square-metre centre features two full-size courts, strength and conditioning facilities, recovery and treatment areas, team meeting rooms and integrated high-performance spaces, allowing players and staff to train under one roof.
JackJumpers and Jewels CEO Trent Jacobs said it was an important chapter in the club’s short but rich history.
“The Government’s investment has cemented the JackJumpers and Jewels as the destination club and given us the strongest foundation to ‘defend the island,'” Jacobs said.
Jewels coach Claudia Brassard said the centre was already proving to be a major recruiting advantage.
“It’s hands down the best facility in the country and that’s a major drawcard,” Brassard said.
“It’s already giving us a competitive edge before we’ve even hit the court.”
She said Australian Opals Steph Reid and Darcee Garbin were among players attracted to the Jewels in part because of the new facility.
“From the minute our athletes wake up, to the minute they go home, they have everything they need to enable them to be the best they can be,” Brassard said.
JackJumpers coach Scott Roth said players had already begun using the centre during pre-season preparations for NBL27.
“We have a facility that sets a new standard for the rest of Australia,” Roth said.
“We have everything and everyone under one roof and that just reinforces the culture and standards that we live by.”
Sport Minister Nick Duigan opened the purpose-built complex on Thursday, describing it as a major milestone for basketball in Tasmania.
“This investment will support Tasmania’s NBL and WNBL teams for years to come,” Duigan said.
Built by local contractor Fairbrother and designed by ARTAS Architects, the project supported more than 450 local jobs during construction.
Both teams will use the facility throughout preparations for the 2026-27 NBL and WNBL seasons.
