City Rise x AJAX Players Sign With Hoiho

Meet the four wahine that put the Powerpuff Girls out of business. Exclusive individual signing reports below.

Adrian Wojranowski reports that the newly minted Southern Hoiho were rushing to get signings of ‘the cream of the crop’, ‘the best bits of the broth’, ‘the toys from the happy meal’, from Dunedin women’s powerhouse Ajax Women’s Basketball Club Dunedin recently. The Southern Hoiho managed to secure these penguins who truly do have yellow in their eyes.

Nicole Ruske – Ruske has shown year after year that she possess many threats on the court. No stranger to a New Zealand singlet, Ruske, as an architecture student, does more than design & draw up plays with the ball in hand. Whilst most shoot their threes from the line at the Edgar Centre, rumours have it that Ruske practices hers from the carpark and can be often found still splashing stepbacks from ‘downtown’ Dunedin in the Octagon, having to notify air traffic control before she starts shooting. It is noted that medical staff will be on-standby after previous spectators have fainted at Ruske’s ball handling abilities. - Woj

Zoe Richards – One of Dunedin’s most loved basketballers, Richards’ talents have seen her travel across the globe to put the ball in the basket. With frequent flier miles racking up faster than you can say Tall Ferns, Richards’ services were highly desired by her home region this season. Richards is one of the harder working ballers that you would find in the country and secret sources within the city have revealed that her current training schedule sees her wake up yesterday for tomorrow’s training and putting in a minimum 27 hours a day through 8 days a week. A not often reported fact is that while Richards can dunk, she decides not to out of politeness for the other team. – Woj

Samara Gallaher – Often referred to as ‘Sammy G’, not for her namesake but her deep passion for Ali G music videos, Gallaher returns to the national stage yet again for her 34th season. Gallaher represented the New Zealand Tall Ferns as a teenager and was an integral part of the first Gold Rush team that competed nationally before taking some time off due to setting too hard of screens. Gallaher, and her ever-lasting silky jumpshot, was informed recently that she is a national record holder because of her representative duties for Otago Basketball which saw her first pull on a singlet for Otago when she was 3 months old. She is also the current holder of the Gallaher trophy which is awarded annually to the female baller who beats their younger sibling 21-0. - Woj

Olivia O’Neill – Being a born a bred Dunedinite, O’Neill has well and truly worked her way through the ranks of basketball in the region. With a crossover so lethal rumours have it O’Neill mistakenly leaves many people constantly ‘slipping’ during trips to the supermarket. O’Neill’s efforts were rewarded with national honours through her schooling years and also earned her a spot in the Junior Tall Ferns. A unnamed source also confirmed that O’Neill earned the nickname ‘Pop’ because of her ability to throw silky dimes, O’Neill would pass the ball so well and hard to teammates that she had to start practicing with balloons which would still pop on impact. - Woj

City Rise are thrilled to congratulate Nicole, Zoe, Sammy & Olivia and know the girls will represent the region proudly.