BENE-League Handball

The BENE-League is a multinational handball competition for men's teams from Belgium and the Netherlands, which started in January 2008 under the name BENE-LIGA. Between 2010 and 2014, Luxembourg teams also participated in the tournament that was then called Benelux League.

BENE-League
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event 2021–22 BENE-League Handball
SportHandball
Founded2008
No. of teams11
CountryBelgium
Netherlands
Luxembourg (former)
ConfederationEHF
Most recent
champion(s)
KEMBIT-LIONS
Most titlesAchilles Bocholt (5 titles)
Level on pyramid1
Official websiteWebsite

History

The idea of setting up a collaboration between the Belgian and Dutch top clubs dates back to the 1980s. However, as in many other sports, it was mainly talked about. However, in 2006 it all became more concrete. A system was devised to better frame the friendly matches from the preparation period, and a knock-out system was set up: quarter-finals in round-trip matches between the top 4 from Belgium and the Netherlands, and the winners would compete in a Final 4. At the end of 2007 it was announced that eight teams from the Netherlands and Belgium would compete against each other. The goal was to start a full Bene Liga competition in 2010 with more teams from the Low Countries.

The first edition of the Bene Liga was played in 2008 as a kind of cup formula. On the Belgian side, the first was kicked off by Initia Hasselt, Tongeren, Neerpelt and KV Sasja HC. Volendam, Aalsmeer, Hellas and Bevo HC from the Netherlands took part. The start of the BENE-Liga was, symbolically, announced in Baarle-Hertog. Evert ten Napel, a well-known Dutch sports reporter led the press conference. In the first edition of the BENE-Liga, KV Sasja became champion.

2021–22 season

Below is the list of clubs that are members of the 2021–22 BENE-League Handball season.
Country Team City Venue
Belgium Belgium Achilles Bocholt Bocholt Sportcomplex De Damburg
HC AtomiX Haacht Sporthal Den Dijk
Hubo Initia Hasselt Hasselt Sporthal Alverberg
Sporting Pelt Neerpelt Dommelhof
Handbal Tongeren Tongeren Eburons Dôme
HC Visé BM Visé Hall Omnisports de Visé
Netherlands Netherlands Green Park Handbal Aalsmeer Aalsmeer Sporthal De Bloemhof
Herpertz Bevo HC Panningen SportArena De Heuf
JD Techniek/Hurry-Up Zwartemeer Succes Holidayparcs Arena
KEMBIT-LIONS Sittard-Geleen Stadssporthal Sittard
Quintus Kwintsheul Eikhout Hal
KRAS/Volendam Volendam Sporthal de Opperdam


Below is the list of winners, finalists and other participants of Final four BENE-League tournaments.

Year Host Final Match for third place
Champion Score Second Place Third Place Score Fourth Place
2008
Details
Lommel Belgium
KV Sasja HC
24-31 Netherlands
Eurotech/Bevo HC
Belgium
Initia Hasselt
31–29 Belgium
United HC Tongeren
2008–09
Details
Tongeren Netherlands
FIQAS/Aalsmeer
33-27 Netherlands
KRAS/Volendam
Belgium
Initia Hasselt
29-27 Belgium
KV Sasja HC
2009–10
Details
Luxembourg City Netherlands
KRAS/Volendam
33-30 Belgium
Achilles Bocholt
Netherlands
Pals groep/E&O
34-33 Belgium
United HC Tongeren
2010–11
Details
Hoboken Netherlands
KRAS/Volendam
32-29 Luxembourg
HC Berchem
Belgium
United HC Tongeren
32-22 Belgium
Initia Hasselt
2011–12
Details
Volendam Netherlands
KRAS/Volendam
30-24 Belgium
Initia Hasselt
Belgium
United HC Tongeren
33-23 Netherlands
OCI-LIONS
2012–13
Details
Houthalen-Helchteren Belgium
Achilles Bocholt
35-29 Netherlands
KRAS/Volendam
Belgium
Initia Hasselt
30-29 Netherlands
Kremer/Hurry-Up
2013–14
Details
Differdange Belgium
Initia Hasselt
31-18 Netherlands
OCI-LIONS
Belgium
HC Achilles Bocholt
31-28 Netherlands
KRAS/Volendam
2014–15
Details
Hasselt Netherlands
OCI-LIONS
27-25 Netherlands
Targos Bevo HC
Belgium
United HC Tongeren
24–22 Belgium
Hubo I. Hasselt
2015–16
Details
Sittard Belgium
Hubo I. Hasselt
35-34 Netherlands
OCI-LIONS
Netherlands
Targos Bevo HC
32-22 Belgium
QubiQ A. Bocholt
2016–17
Details
Hasselt Belgium
Achilles Bocholt
38-37 Netherlands
OCI-LIONS
Belgium
Callant Tongeren
32-22 Belgium
Hubo I. Hasselt
2017–18
Details
's-Hertogenbosch Belgium
Achilles Bocholt
34-31 Netherlands
OCI-LIONS
Netherlands
FIQAS/Aalsmeer
29-28 Belgium
Hubo I. Hasselt
2018–19
Details
Antwerp Belgium
Achilles Bocholt
35-34 Belgium
HC Visé BM
Netherlands
OCI-LIONS
32-22 Netherlands
Green Park/Aalsmeer
2019–20
Details
's-Hertogenbosch Belgium
Achilles Bocholt
Netherlands
KEMBIT-LIONS
Netherlands
Herpertz Bevo HC
Belgium
HC Visé BM
2020–21
Details
Season canceled
2021–22
Details
's-Hertogenbosch Netherlands
KEMBIT-LIONS
22-29 Belgium
Sezoens Achilles Bocholt
Match for third place between Sporting Pelt and Green Park/Aalsmeer has not played.
2022–23
Details
Bocholt Netherlands
KEMBIT-LIONS
- Belgium
Sezoens Achilles Bocholt
Match for third place between Sporting Pelt and Green Park/Aalsmeer has not played.

Hosts

Year Final four host Hall Date
2008 Belgium Lommel Sportcentrum de Soeverein 30 Juny–1 July 2008
2008–09 Belgium Tongeren Eburons Dôme 30-31 May 2009
2009–10 Luxembourg Luxembourg City Coque Sport Cente 20-21 February 2010
2010–11 Belgium Hoboken Sporthal Sport VIII 26-27 February 2011
2011–12 Netherlands Volendam Sporthal de Opperdam 3-4 March 2012
2012–13 Belgium Houthalen-Helchteren Sportpark Lakerveld  ?
2013–14 Luxembourg Differdange Differdange Sports Center  ?
2014–15 Belgium Hasselt Sporthal de Alverberg 7-8 February 2015
2015–16 Netherlands Sittard Topsporthal Fitland XL Sittard 6-7 February 2016
2016–17 Belgium Hasselt Sporthal de Alverberg 25-26 February 2017
2017–19 Netherlands 's-Hertogenbosch Maaspoort 17-18 March 2018
2018–19 Netherlands Antwerp Lotto Arena 30-31 March 2019
2019–20 Netherlands 's-Hertogenbosch Maaspoort 14-15 March 2020
2019–20 Season canceled
2021–22 Netherlands 's-Hertogenbosch Maaspoort 26-27 March 2022
2022–23 Belgium Bocholt Sportcomplex De Damburg 18 March 2023

Records and statistics

By club

Club Won Runner-up Years won Years runner-up
Belgium Bocholt
5
2
2013, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 2010, 2022
Netherlands Volendam
3
2
2010, 2011, 2012 2009, 2013
Belgium Hasselt
2
1
2014, 2016 2012
Netherlands Limburg Lions
2
5
2015, 2022 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020
Netherlands Aalsmeer
1
0
2009
Belgium Sasja
1
0
2008
Netherlands Bevo HC
0
2
2008, 2014
Luxembourg Berchem
0
1
2011
Belgium HC Visé BM
0
1
2019

By country

Club / Nation Won Runner-up Finals
 Belgium
8
4
11
 Netherlands
6
9
14
 Luxembourg
0
1
1
Total131326
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