New Zealand's biggest Pro-Am basketball competition has gone international with Australia set to compete at this year's competition.

Athletes are set to descend upon Tauranga this Labour Weekend, October 19-22, with more than 389 games to be played over four days across five venues in Tauranga.

The tournament was launched by Paul Berridge and KJ Allen in 2011 in Whanganui with only 15 teams and has since grown to 143 teams. The competition was moved to Tauranga in 2015, with scope for 200 teams in the future.

A total of 144 teams have entered the competition and more than 1380 athletes will compete at this year's competition, the biggest HoopNation has ever held.

For the first time this year Australia will have a presence, sending across eight teams with representation in the U14 divisions, U16 divisions, U18 divisions and Women's Elite divisions.

'Having a large Australia presence this year means it will stimulate more interest for them to come back next year, bigger, better and stronger, meaning basketball skill growth for our own New Zealand players,” says Paul.

'We've been working with two identities who have taken note of the opportunity that HoopNation gives athletes as a platform to enter the NZ NBL system,” says KJ.

'Since the NBL opened to hosting three imports per franchise, the NZ NBL now looks more attractive to them.”

HoopNation have also secured exclusive rights to manage a NZ invitational team to compete in China, at the $200k JUMP10 World Hoops Challenge a team which will be announced at the end of this year's HoopNation competition.