The England Handball Association is the governing body for non-International Handball Federation related matters of team handball in England. The British Handball Association has governance over matters relating to the International Handball Federation. It is an Associate member of the European Handball Federation (EHF).
League The men's league in England is currently divided into three tiers. The elite tier is the Premier Handball League in which 12 teams from England compete to be the national champion split in 2 regions (North and South). The second tier is the Regional League. This competition is currently divided into North and South (and South West and East). Following an end of season play-off in May/June, the overall winners are promoted to the Premier League, replacing the team finishing last in the top division. The runners-up in the Championship play a sudden death promotion match against the seventh placed team in the Super 8 for a place in the top division for the following season.
The lowest tier of competition in senior men's handball in England is the third tier which consists of regional development leagues. The number of divisions varies from year to year during the 2014/15 season there were five regional leagues, London, South-West, East, Midlands and North. As of 2016/17 there are four regional leagues, North, Midlands, South-West and South-East. The South-East regional league is divided into three divisions, Tier 1, 2A and 2B, so 2A and 2B make up the fourth tier of English handball.
There is no automatic promotion from the third to the second tier. The third tier is where clubs are able to demonstrate their development and ability to meet the criteria to join the competition at the second tier.
TierLeagues/Divisions1Premier Handball League (PHL) 8 teams - 1 relegation2Championship NorthChampionship South3 North Regional Development League Midlands Regional Development League South-West Regional Development LeagueSouth-East Regional Development League - Tier 14 No Divisions South-East Regional Development League - Tier 2A South-East Regional Development League - Tier 2B
England Handball League (1972 -2011)
Men's England Handball League Winners (1972 -2011) Year Champion Runner-up 1975 Birkenhead 1976 Birkenhead 1977 Birkenhead 1978 Kirkby Select 1979 Brentwood '72 1980 Brentwood '72 1981 Brentwood '72 Liverpool HC 1982 Brentwood '72 Liverpool HC 1983 Brentwood '72 Liverpool HC 1986 Kirkby Select 1989 Manchester United 2000 London GDWest London Eagles 2001 London GDWest London Eagles 2002 Liverpool HC 2003 Liverpool HC West London Eagles 2004 London GD 2005 London GDHeathrow 2006 Oxford University 2007 University of ManchesterLondon GD 2008 London GDUniversity of Manchester 2009 London GDOlympia HC 2010 London GD Olympia HC 2011 London GD West London Eagles
Women's England Handball League Winners (1975 -2011)
Year Champion Runner-up 1975 Birkenhead 1976 Birkenhead 1977 Birkenhead 1978 Kirkby Select 1979 Brentwood '72 1980 Brentwood '72 1981 Brentwood '72 Liverpool HC 1982 Brentwood '72 Liverpool HC 1983 Brentwood '72 Liverpool HC 1986 Kirkby Select 1989 Manchester United 2000 London GDWest London Eagles 2001 London GDWest London Eagles
Premier Handball League (2012 - today) Main Page: Premier Handball League
Men's Premier Handball League Winners Year Champion Runner-up Relegated 2012 Salford West London Eagles 2013 London GD SalfordLiverpool 2014 London GD Salford 2015 Warrington Wolves London GDCoventry Sharks 2016 London GD Olympia HC Deva HC 2017 Warrington Wolves NEM HawksCoventry Sharks2018London GDOlympia HC Liverpool HC2019London GDOlympia HCBrighton Seahawks2020competition suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic2021not disputed due to the Covid-19 pandemic2022NEM HawksLondon GDCambridge HC2023NEM HawksOlympia HC
Women's Premier Handball League Winners Year Champion Runner-up Relegated 2012 West London Eagles London GD 2013 London GD Thames Handball Club 2014Olympia HC West London Eagles 2015 London GDCoventry Sharks 2016Olympia HCCoventry Sharks 2017Coventry SharksLondon GD2018London GDCoventry Sharks2019West London EaglesNEM Hawks2020competition suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic2021not disputed due to the Covid-19 pandemic20222023
Championship (2nd Tier)
Men's Championship Winners
Year Champion Runner-up 1977 Whitchurch (Bristol) 1978 Olympia (Cannock)Leicester '73 1979 Leicester '73 1980 Recreation NuneatonIpswich 1981 Olympia (Cannock)London GD - 2006 Liverpool Hope University - 2013 Olympia HCNEM Hawks 2014 Coventry SharksNEM Hawks 2015 NEM Hawks Brighton Seahawks 2016 Nottingham HC Coventry Sharks 2017 Liverpool HC Brighton Seahawks2018Brighton SeahawksCoventry Sharks2019Liverpool HCCarshalton Titans2020competition suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic2021not disputed due to the Covid-19 pandemic Data source: 1977-1982 Midlands Handball Association (1982) Handball Directory. page 12;. 2006
Regional Development Leagues (3rd Tier)
Year Region Champion Runner-up 2015 London London GD II Thames HC 2015 South Southampton Poole Phoenix 2015 East Cranfield HC Cambridge HC 2015 Midlands Loughborough University HC OlyCats 2015 North Bolton Huddersfield
EHA National Cup
The EHA offers two cup competitions for senior males. The EHA National Cup is the cup competition for the top clubs in England. Any club meeting the qualifying criteria may enter. Clubs not eligible for the National Cup may enter the EHA League Cup.
Men's EHA National Cup Winners
Year Champion Runner-up 2009 London GD 2010 West London Eagles Manchester Handball Club 2011 London GD Ruislip Eagles 2012 London GD Salford 2013 Salford Ruislip Eagles 2014 Salford London GD 2015 Warrington Wolves London GD 2016 Warrington Wolves London GD2017Warrington WolvesNEM Hawks2018London GDNEM Hawks2019Warrington WolvesCambridge HC
Women's EHA National Cup Winners Year Champion Runner-up 2009 West London Eagles London GD 2010 London GDRuislip Eagles 2011 West London Eagles Olympia HC 2012 West London Eagles London GD 2013 London GD Handball Club Thames Handball Club 2014Olympia HC Ruislip Eagles 2015 London GDCoventry Sharks 2016Olympia HCCoventry Sharks 2017Coventry SharksLondon GD2018London GDCoventry Sharks2019West London EaglesNEM Hawks
EHA National Shield (Previously League Cup)
Clubs not eligible for the National Cup may enter the EHA League Cup.
Men's National Shield Winners Year Champion Runner-up 2015 Cranfield London GD II 2016 Oxford University London GD II2017London GD IIReading Lions2018Coventry SharksGuildford Sabres2019Essex HurricanesGuildford Sabres
Women's National Shield Winners Year Champion Runner-up 2017Reading Lionesses Liverpool HC2018Reading LionessesLoughborough University HC 2019NorthamptonLondon GD II
See also List of handball clubs in England
References
External links England Handball Handball Blog with many entries related to English Handball