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.
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. 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.
Division 1 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 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
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
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
External links Official site of Basketball England, including the EBL National League English Women's Basketball League at eurobasket.com