Women's basketball was introduced into New Zealand in 1907 by the Rev. J. C. Jamieson, Travelling Secretary of the Presbyterian Bible Class Union, who had seen the game played in Australia. In that year a demonstration match was played in a paddock between Eden and Epsom, Auckland, and as a result several teams were formed from the Y.W.C.A. and Bible classes. Gradually the game spread to other centres and associations were constituted in Auckland, Canterbury, Otago, and Wellington. As there were wide divergencies between the rules adopted by these bodies, inter-association competitions could not be organised. In 1922 the four associations commenced negotiations to form a national association and to adopt uniform rules. The first interprovincial match was played in Wellington in 1923. In May 1924 the New Zealand Basketball Association was inaugurated; the association's colours–black with a silver fern emblem–were adopted; and it was decided to hold a Dominion Tournament annually from 1926. At the first annual meeting held in August 1925 at Wellington, the constitution was drafted and the playing rules of the Otago Basketball Association were adopted.