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English Women's Basketball League

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
English Women's Basketball League
SportBasketball
Founded2003
First season2003/04
No. of teams26
CountryEngland England
ContinentEurope FIBA Europe (Europe)
Most recent
champion(s)
Anglia Ruskin University
Level on pyramid2
Domestic cup(s)1
Official websitebasketballengland.co.uk

The Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) is a women's basketball league in England, covering semi-professional and amateur levels of the game. This is effectively seen as the second tier of women's basketball in the United Kingdom, along with the less celebrated Scottish Women's National League.

The EBL was established in 2003 by Basketball England to replace the former National Basketball League, which the league has since reverted to at the start of the 2015/2016 season, and currently operates three women's leagues in a regionalised structure, as well as the men's National Basketball League. The senior leagues are supported by a junior structure for both male and female players, with leagues for under-18s, under-16s and under-14s.[1]

The NBL Leagues form the second and third level of women's competition in the United Kingdom, with the highest level consisting of the semi-professional Women's British Basketball League. There is no promotion and relegation between the National League and the Women's British Basketball League, which operates a franchise system, although teams seeking greater competition and exposure can apply to make the step from NBL to the WBBL.

History

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When it was founded in 2003, the women's EBL consisted of two levels of competition; a nationalized Division 1, closely matching the WNBL Conference which existed under the previous structure, and a regionalized Division 2, originally split into North and South conferences. At this point, there was no level of competition above Division 1, nor any competition for clubs on a British level. From the 2007/2008 season onwards, Division 2 was split into three regions to allow for the greater number of clubs applying for national competition.

In 2014, England Basketball and the British Basketball League collaborated to form the Women's British Basketball League, which absorbed many of the largest women's clubs in the NBL, including the whole of Division 1.[2] As a result, the most established and successful clubs in women's basketball in the United Kingdom are no longer part of the NBL. Initially, the NBL's women's leagues retained the original regionalised structure of the old Division 2, which meant only the end-of-season playoffs offering the opportunity for clubs from across the whole of England to compete against each other. A nationalised Division 1 was reinstated for the 2016/2017 season, with the new Division 2 split across a North/South divide.

Teams

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WNBL Division 1 League for the 2020/2021 season.[3]

Division 1

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Team Arena
Anglia Ruskin University Kelsey Kerridge Sports Centre
Barking Abbey UEL Barking Abbey Leisure Centre
Bristol Academy Flyers SGS Arena
Cardiff Met Archers II Archers Arena
Ipswich Basketball Club Copleston Sports Centre
Loughborough Student Riders Loughborough Netball Centre
Nottingham Trent University David Ross Sports Village
Reading Rockets John Madejski Academy
Solent Kestrels Women Park Leisure Centre
Southwark Pride Women City Of London Academy
Thames Valley Cavaliers Uxbridge College
Worcester Wolves Worcester Arena

WNBL Division 2 League for the 2020/2021 Season.

Division 2

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North South
Team Arena Team Arena
Derbyshire Gems Killamarsh Sports Centre Cardiff City Cardiff City House of Sport
Mansfield Giants Oak Tree Leisure Centre Folkestone Saints Folkestone Sport Centre
Northamptonshire Titans Weavers Leisure Centre
Nottingham Trent Wildcats Nottingham Wildcats Arena Solent Kestrels II St. Marys Leisure Centre
Surrey Goldhawks Winston Churchill School
University of Exeter University Of Exeter

League Champions

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[4][5]

Season Winners Runner-up Third place
2003/04 Rhondda Rebels Sheffield Hatters London Sting
2004/05 Rhondda Rebels Sheffield Hatters Nottingham Wildcats
2005/06 Rhondda Rebels Sheffield Hatters Nottingham Wildcats
2006/07 Sheffield Hatters Rhondda Rebels London Heathrow Acers
2007/08 Sheffield Hatters Rhondda Rebels Team Northumbria
2008/09 Sheffield Hatters Cardiff Archers Nottingham Wildcats
2009/10 Sheffield Hatters Cardiff Archers Nottingham Wildcats
2010/11 Sheffield Hatters Cardiff Archers Nottingham Wildcats
2011/12 Cardiff Archers Sheffield Hatters Barking Abbey Leopards
2012/13 Sheffield Hatters Nottingham Wildcats Barking Abbey
2013/14 Sheffield Hatters Nottingham Wildcats Loughborough Riders
Season North Champions South East Champions South West Champions
2014/15 Sheffield Hallam Hatters Oaklands College Wolves (St Albans) Team Solent Suns
2015/16 Charnwood College Riders Southwark Pride Reading Rockets
Season Winners Runner-up Third place
2016/17 Solent Kestrels Southwark Pride Charnwood College Riders

Playoff Champions

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[6][7]

Season Winners Runner-up Result
2003/04 Sheffield Hatters Rhondda Rebels 72 - 61
2004/05 Rhondda Rebels Sheffield Hatters 64 - 58
2005/06 Sheffield Hatters Rhondda Rebels 79 - 67
2006/07 Sheffield Hatters Rhondda Rebels 76 - 63
2007/08 Rhondda Rebels Sheffield Hatters 72 - 70
2008/09 Sheffield Hatters Cardiff Archers 81 - 48
2009/10 Cardiff Archers Sheffield Hatters 56 - 52
2010/11 Sheffield Hatters Cardiff Archers 91 - 69
2011/12 Sheffield Hatters Cardiff Archers 93 - 72
2012/13 Sheffield Hatters Barking Abbey 70 - 57
2013/14 Loughborough Riders Sheffield Hatters 68 - 63
2014/15 Team Solent Suns Oaklands College Wolves (St Albans) 63 - 50
2015/16 Southwark Pride Reading Rockets 68 - 59
2016/17 Southwark Pride Solent Kestrels 67 - 53

References

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  1. ^ "Youth League Structure 2017/2018" (PDF). Basketball England.
  2. ^ "WBBL to Upscale Women's Top Tier". MVP247.
  3. ^ "National League Structure 2018/2019" (PDF). Basketball England.
  4. ^ "Women's Senior Leagues". pawprint75.co.uk. Archived from the original on August 21, 2008.
  5. ^ "League Tables". Basketball England.
  6. ^ "Women's Championships". pawprint75.co.uk. Archived from the original on October 8, 2008.
  7. ^ "Fixtures & Results". Basketball England.
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