English Women's Basketball League

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.

English Women's Basketball League
SportBasketball
Founded2003
Inaugural 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 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

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

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

Division 1
Team Arena
Anglia Ruskin UniversityKelsey Kerridge Sports Centre
Barking Abbey UELBarking Abbey Leisure Centre
Bristol Academy FlyersSGS Arena
Cardiff Met Archers IIArchers Arena
Ipswich Basketball ClubCopleston Sports Centre
Loughborough Student RidersLoughborough Netball Centre
Nottingham Trent UniversityDavid Ross Sports Village
Reading RocketsJohn Madejski Academy
Solent Kestrels WomenPark Leisure Centre
Southwark Pride WomenCity Of London Academy
Thames Valley CavaliersUxbridge College
Worcester WolvesWorcester Arena

WNBL Division 2 League for the 2020/2021 Season.

Division 2
North South
Team Arena Team Arena
Derbyshire GemsKillamarsh Sports Centre Cardiff CityCardiff City House of Sport
Mansfield GiantsOak Tree Leisure Centre Folkestone SaintsFolkestone Sport Centre
Northamptonshire TitansWeavers Leisure Centre
Nottingham Trent WildcatsNottingham Wildcats Arena Solent Kestrels IISt. Marys Leisure Centre
Surrey GoldhawksWinston Churchill School
University of Exeter University Of Exeter

League Champions

[4][5]

Season Winners Runner-up Third place
2003/04Rhondda RebelsSheffield HattersLondon Sting
2004/05Rhondda RebelsSheffield HattersNottingham Wildcats
2005/06Rhondda RebelsSheffield HattersNottingham Wildcats
2006/07Sheffield HattersRhondda RebelsLondon Heathrow Acers
2007/08Sheffield HattersRhondda RebelsTeam Northumbria
2008/09Sheffield HattersCardiff ArchersNottingham Wildcats
2009/10Sheffield HattersCardiff ArchersNottingham Wildcats
2010/11Sheffield HattersCardiff ArchersNottingham Wildcats
2011/12Cardiff ArchersSheffield HattersBarking Abbey Leopards
2012/13Sheffield HattersNottingham WildcatsBarking Abbey
2013/14Sheffield HattersNottingham WildcatsLoughborough Riders
Season North Champions South East Champions South West Champions
2014/15Sheffield Hallam HattersOaklands College Wolves (St Albans)Team Solent Suns
2015/16Charnwood College RidersSouthwark PrideReading Rockets
Season Winners Runner-up Third place
2016/17Solent KestrelsSouthwark PrideCharnwood College Riders

Playoff Champions

[6][7]

Season Winners Runner-up Result
2003/04Sheffield HattersRhondda Rebels72 - 61
2004/05Rhondda RebelsSheffield Hatters64 - 58
2005/06Sheffield HattersRhondda Rebels79 - 67
2006/07Sheffield HattersRhondda Rebels76 - 63
2007/08Rhondda RebelsSheffield Hatters72 - 70
2008/09Sheffield HattersCardiff Archers81 - 48
2009/10Cardiff ArchersSheffield Hatters56 - 52
2010/11Sheffield HattersCardiff Archers91 - 69
2011/12Sheffield HattersCardiff Archers93 - 72
2012/13Sheffield HattersBarking Abbey70 - 57
2013/14Loughborough RidersSheffield Hatters68 - 63
2014/15Team Solent SunsOaklands College Wolves (St Albans)63 - 50
2015/16Southwark PrideReading Rockets68 - 59
2016/17Southwark PrideSolent Kestrels67 - 53

References
  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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