Rwanda Basketball League

The Rwanda Basketball League (RBL) (formerly the National Basketball League Rwanda) is the top professional basketball league in Rwanda.[1] Its season usually runs from November to September. The winners of the NBL season qualify for the qualifiers for the Basketball Africa League (BAL).

Rwanda Basketball League
Organising bodyFERWABA
Founded1977
First season1977
CountryRwanda
Number of teams14
Level on pyramid1
Relegation toRwanda Basketball League Division 2
International cup(s)Basketball Africa League (BAL)
Current championsAPR (14th title)
(2023)
Most championshipsAPR (14 titles)
2022–23 RBL season

The league currently consists of 14 teams, most of them being from the country's capital Kigali. The current champion of the NBL are APR BBC, who are the league’s most decorated team with a record 14 championships. Other notable teams are REG BBC and their rivals Patriots BBC, who have been powerhouses in recent years.

Since the 2021–22 season, the FERWABA also organises the Rwanda Basketball League Division 2 to which the bottom two teams of the RBL relegate.[2]

History

Basketball was introduced in Rwanda in 1930 by Catholic priests, who first thought the sport at high schools in the Southern Province. The following decades, the presence of the sport increased as the military and some public institutions created basketball teams. In 1974, the national basketball federation FERWABA was established. Three years later, in 1977, the first national league was created.[3]

The 1994 Rwandan genocide threw the sport back, because Tutsi players, spectators and administrators died and crucial infrastructure was destroyed.[3]

In the 2000s, APR was the dominant team in Rwanda and it participated in the FIBA Africa Clubs Champions Cup thrice. Its best result was a bronze medal in 2009.

From 2011 to 2015, Espoir BBC won four straight national titles. From then, two newly established teams REG (owned by the Rwanda Energy Group) and Patriots entered the league. The two teams became rivals and played each other in the finals for several years.

In the 2020s, the Basketball Africa League (BAL) was introduced – the first editions were hosted by the BK Arena in Kigali. Patriots finished in fourth place in the inaugural 2021 season.

Current teams

The following teams will play in the 2022–23 season:

Team City Founded Joined
30 Plus Kigali (Kimisagara) 2006
APR Kigali 1993
Espoir Kigali 2003
Patriots Kigali 2014
Kigali Titans Kigali 2021 2022
REG Kigali 2016
IPRC-Huye Huye
IPRC-Kigali Kigali
IPRC-Musanze Musanze
Orion BBC Kigali 2022
Rusizi Rusizi
Shoot for the Stars Kigali
Tigers Kigali 2019
UGB Kigali
University of Rwanda Huye
University of Rwanda – CHMS Kigali

Sources:[4][nb 1]

Champions

The following is a list of all documented Rwandan top-flight league champions:[6]

  • 1995: APR
  • 1996: APR
  • 1997: APR
  • 1998: APR
  • 1999: APR
  • 2000: APR
  • 2001: APR
  • 2002: APR
  • 2003: APR
  • 2004: Espoir
  • 2005: APR
  • 2006: APR
  • 2007: Marines
  • 2008: APR
  • 2009: APR
  • 2010: Kigali Basketball Club
  • 2011: Kigali Basketball Club
  • 2012: Espoir
  • 2013: Espoir
  • 2014: Espoir
  • 2015: Espoir
  • 2016: Patriots
  • 2017: REG
  • 2018: Patriots
  • 2019: Patriots
  • 2020: Patriots
  • 2021: REG
  • 2022: REG
  • 2023: APR

Finals

The following is a list of Rwandan top-level finals series, and if possible, final standings.

Season Champions Runners-up Finals score Ref.
2007MarinesCSK
2007–08APRMarines
2008–09APR
2009–10Kigali Basketball ClubAPR—
[7]
2010–11Kigali Basketball Club
2011–12Espoir (1)KBC
3–1
[8]
2012–13Espoir (2)APR
3–0
2013–14Espoir (3)APR—
2014–15Espoir (4)Patriots
3–1
[9]
2015–16Patriots (1)Espoir—
2016–17Patriots (2)REG
3–1
[10]
2017–18Patriots (2)REG
3–2
[11]
2018–19Patriots (3)REG
4–3
2019–20Patriots (4)REG
76–61
[12]
2020–21REG (1)Patriots
2–0
[13]
2021–22 REG (2) Patriots
3–2
 [14]
2023 APR (14) REG 4–0 [15]

Performance by club
Club Wins Runners-up Seasons won Seasons runners-up
APR
14
21995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 20232013, 2014
Patriots
4
1
2016, 2018, 2019, 20202017, 2021, 2022
Espoir
5
1
2004, 2012, 2013, 2014, 20152016
REG
3
42017, 2021, 20222017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2023
Kigali Basketball Club
2
12010, 20112012
Marines
1
120072008

Individual awards

Most Valuable Player

After each RBL season, one player is named the Most valuable player of the competition. Olivier Shyaka is the only player to have won at least two MVP awards.

Season Player Nationality Club Ref.
2012 Aristide Mugabe  Rwanda Espoir [16]
2013 Bienvenu Ngandu  Rwanda Espoir (2) [8]
2014 Mike Buzangu  Democratic Republic of the Congo Cercle Sportif de Kigali [16]
2015 Olivier Shyaka  Rwanda Espoir (3) [9]
2016 Kubwimana Kazingufu Ali  Rwanda Patriots [17]
2017 Kami Kabange  Democratic Republic of the Congo REG [10]
2018 Sedar Sagamba  Rwanda Patriots (2)
2019 Dieudonné Ndizeye  Rwanda Patriots (3) [18]
2021 Olivier Shyaka (2)  Rwanda REG (2) [13]
2022 Axel Mpoyo  Rwanda REG (3) [19]

Team of the Year

Players in bold were named the season's Most Valuable Player.

Season Players Coach
PG SG SF PF C
2014–15[9] Aristide Mugabe (Espoir) Mike Buzangu (KBC) Lionnel Hakizimana (Espoir) Olivier Shyaka (Espoir) Bienvenue Ngandu (Espoir)
2016–17 Aristide Mugabe (Patriots) Benjamin Mukengerwa (REG) Dieudonné Ndizeye (IPRC-Kigali) Olivier Shyaka (Espoir) Kami Kabange (REG)
2019–20[18] Guibert Nijimbere (REG) Wilson Nshobozwa (REG) Dieudonné Ndizeye (Patriots) Bienvenu Niyonsaba (APR) Junior Kasongo (Patriots) Henry Mwinuka (REG)
2020–21[13] Adonis Filer (REG) Engelbert Beleck Bell (Patriots) Dieudonné Ndizeye (Patriots) Olivier Shyaka (REG) Tom Wamukota (Patriots) Henry Mwinuka (REG)
2021–22[19] Adonis Filer (REG) Kenny Gasana (Patriots) Steven Hagumintwari (Patriots) Axel Mpoyo (REG) Pitchou Kambuy Manga (REG) Henry Mwinuka (REG)

In African competitions

Each year, the champions of the NBL were placed for the qualifiers of the FIBA Africa Basketball League, the premiere pan-African competition. Since 2020, this league is replaced by the Basketball Africa League (BAL). The following list shows Rwandan teams which played in a main tournament:

Rwandan participants in the FIBA Africa Basketball League / BAL
Club Participations Seasons Best result
APR
3
 2007, 2008, 2009 Bronze 3rd place (2009)
Patriots
1
 2021 Fourth place (2021)
REG
1
 2022 Quarterfinals (2022)

In the Basketball Africa League
Season Representative Road to BAL Main competition
W L Result Qualified W L Result
2021 Patriots 9 0  Gold Yes 3 3 Fourth place
2022 REG Qualified directly Yes 4 2 Quarter-finals
2023 REG Qualified directly Yes
Total 9 0 7 5

See also

Notes
  1. From.[5] Four teams play home games outside Kigali – RP-IPRC Huye BBC and UR BBC-MEN (Butare), RP IPRC MUSANZE (Ruhengeri), and RUSIZI Basketball Club (Cyangugu). The remaining ten teams all play games at Kigali venues Club Rafiki, Kigali Arena, NPC, Petit stade Remera, and RP-IPRC Kigali.

References
  1. Rwanda: Basketball League - Espoir Wary of IPRC-Kigali Bishumba, Richard, All Africa. 25 March 2016, retrieved 16 October 2016.
  2. "Basketball: Ferwaba releases draw for second division league". The New Times | Rwanda. 29 March 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  3. "About Ferwaba – Rwanda Basketball Federation". Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  4. "Rwandan Basketball (Men) Teams". AfroBasket. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  5. "Schedule". Archived from the original on 20 May 2020. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  6. Sikubwabo, Damas (21 August 2023). "Basketball: A look at the teams competing in playoffs". The New Times. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  7. "KBC crowned Champions". The New Times | Rwanda. 27 September 2010. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  8. Kamasa, Peter (17 November 2013). "Espoir's Ngangu named MVP". The New Times. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  9. Bishumba, Richard (10 August 2015). "Espoir retain Hoops Play-offs title". The New Times. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  10. Bishumba, Richard (30 July 2017). "Patriots beat REG to win hoops playoff finals". The New Times. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  11. Sikubwabo, Damas (5 May 2018). "Patriots crowned basketball league champions". The New Times. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  12. Demba, Varore (25 October 2020). "Basket : Patriots champion du Rwanda". Sport News Africa (in French). Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  13. "Basketball: REG crowned national league champions". The New Times | Rwanda. 31 October 2021. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  14. Sikubwabo, Damas (19 September 2022). "REG retain championship after Patriots win". The New Times. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  15. Sikubwabo, Damas (9 September 2023). "PHOTOS: Basketball: APR clinch first championship in 14 years". The New Times. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  16. "Buzangu named hoops league 2014 MVP". The New Times. 14 September 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  17. Asiimwe, Geoffrey (16 July 2016). "Meet Kubwimana, the 2015-16 MVP primed for stardom". The New Times. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  18. "PHOTOS: Ndizeye named MVP". The New Times | Rwanda. 2 November 2019.
  19. Sikubwabo, Damas (24 September 2022). "Photos: Basketball: Axel Mpoyo named MVP as league winds up". The New Times. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
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