Vipers Kristiansand was a professional handball club from Kristiansand, Norway. The team competed in REMA 1000-ligaen, the top division in the country, from its promotion in 2001 until its bankruptcy in 2025.

They claimed their first Norwegian championship in 2018, ending an 18 times streak for the champions from Larvik HK. Since then, they've shown strong dominance in Norway and claimed 7 consecutive league titles, 7 cup titles and 5 playoff titles.

For the first time in the club's history, they qualified for the 2018–19 Women's EHF Final 4 in Budapest, where they took the 3rd place and a historic bronze medal. On 30 May 2021, they won the 2020–21 Women's EHF Champions League and the following year they succeeded again, becoming the first Norwegian team to win EHF Champions League two years in a row. In 2023, they claimed another Women's EHF Final 4 title and secured the treble while the EHF FINAL4 Women in Budapest broke the world record for spectator attendance at women's handball matches.

On 20 October 2024, the club announced they were going to seek bankruptcy. On 21 October 2024, it was reported that the club would not seek bankruptcy after all. A group of investors were interested in saving the club, in exchange that a new board of directors were elected and that the current one collectively stepped off.

However, on 13 January 2025, the club officially declared bankruptcy with all players being let go of their contracts.

Achievements REMA 1000-ligaen: Gold: 2017/2018, 2018/2019, 2019/2020, 2020/2021, 2021/2022, 2022/2023, 2023/2024 Silver: 2016/2017 Bronze: 2002/2003

Norwegian Cup: Winner: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022/23, 2023/2024 Silver: 2010

EHF Champions League: Winner: 2020/2021, 2021/2022, 2022/2023 Bronze: 2018/2019

EHF Cup: Finalist: 2017/2018

Players Notable former national team players

Veronica Kristiansen Elise Alsand Kristine Lunde-Borgersen Kari Brattset Dale Pernille Wibe Linn Jørum Sulland Emilie Hegh Arntzen Malin Aune Henny Reistad Nora Mørk Heidi Løke Andrea Austmo Pedersen Ragnhild Valle Dahl Kjerstin Boge Solås Karine Dahlum Silje Solberg-Østhassel Katrine Lunde Sunniva Næs Andersen Silje Waade Marta Tomac Carolina Morais Katarina Ježić Ana Debelić Markéta Jeřábková Jana Knedlíková Louise Pedersen Annette Jensen Nerea Pena Lysa Tchaptchet Paula Arcos Océane Sercien-Ugolin Þórey Rósa Stefánsdóttir Angie Geschke Luisa Schulze Zsuzsanna Tomori Sakura Hauge Jessy Kramer Lynn Knippenborg Charris Rozemalen Annick Lipman Merel Freriks Lois Abbingh Larissa Nüsser Anna Vyakhireva Mia Emmenegger Isabelle Gulldén Evelina Eriksson Sofie Börjesson Jamina Roberts Nina Koppang Carin Strömberg

Notable former club players

Beate Bang Grimestad Bodil Flo Berge Janne Brox Susanne Fuglestad Hilde Kvifte Ingunn Birkeland Lindy Taraldsen Christin Høgaas Daland Katrine Høyland Helene Jørgensen Vinknes Gerd Elin Albert Susann Iren Hall Pernille Wang Skaug Kristin Nørstebø Jeanett Kristiansen June Andenæs Hanna Yttereng Tonje Refsnes Dina Frisendal Tuva Høve Vilde Jonassen Mina Hesselberg Therese Helgesson Emma Jonsson Sara Nirvander Ulrika Olsson Michelle Brandstrup Sanne Bak Pedersen Mathilde Kristensen Julie Stokkendal Poulsen Birgit Van Os Renáta Kári-Horváth Karin Weigelt

Kit manufacturers PeriodKit manufacturer –2016 Playmaker 2016–2023 Umbro 2023–2025 Puma

Statistics

Top scorers in the EHF Champions League Last updated on 11 January 2025 RankNameSeasons playedGoals1 Jana Knedlíková52632 Sunniva Næs Andersen82053 Anna Vyakhireva21974 Markéta Jeřábková21925 Henny Reistad31896 Linn Jørum Sulland41877 Jamina Roberts31848 Nora Mørk21799 Ragnhild Valle Dahl417310 Emilie Hegh Arntzen4152

Individual awards in the EHF Champions League SeasonPlayerAward2018–19 Linn Jørum SullandTop Scorer (89 goals) Katrine LundeAll-Star Team (Best Goalkeeper)2020–21 Henny ReistadMost Valuable Player Nora MørkAll-Star Team (Best Right Back) Henny ReistadAll-Star Team (Best Young Player) Ole Gustav GjekstadBest Coach2021–22 Markéta JeřábkováMost Valuable Player Nora MørkAll-Star Team (Best Right Back)2022–23 Anna VyakhirevaMost Valuable Player2023–24 Anna VyakhirevaTop Scorer (113 goals)

European record Season Competition Round Club 1st leg 2nd leg Aggregate 2003–04EHF Cup Round 3 OF Nea Ionia 37–13 36–21 73–34Round of 16 ESBF Besançon 31–26 30–32 61–58QF Eurostandard G.P. Skopje 41–33 33–24 74–57SF Győri Graboplast ETO 29–26 20–29 49–55 2004–05EHF Cup Round 3 ZMC Amicitia Zürich 19–27 34–25 53–521/8 Győri Graboplast ETO 28–38 25–33 53–712015–16EHF Cup Winners' CupRound 3 Halden HK 25–19 22–20 47–39Last 16 MKS Selgros Lublin 28–22 22–25 50–47Quarter-finals RK Krim 29–27 20–30 49–57 2016–17 EHF CupR1 Cassano Magnago 52–10 37–12 89–22R2 WHC Lada Togliatti 23–29 32–26 55–552017–18EHF Cup FinalistGroup B Issy Paris22–2324–2546–48 København Håndbold30–2325–3055–53 Handball Club Lada30–2124–2954–50QF Brest Bretagne Handball 26–17 29–34 55–51SF Viborg HK 31–34 29–23 60–57F SCM Craiova 26–22 25–30 51–52 2017–18 EHF Champions LeagueQT1-SF HC Gomel43–19QT1-F HC Podravka Vegeta42–14 Group D Metz Handball 22–30 22–25 44–55 ŽRK Budućnost 29–19 23–26 52–45 SG BBM Bietigheim 24–29 24–25 48–54 2018–19 EHF Champions League Third placeGroup D CSM București 27–29 31–26 58–55 Ferencvárosi TC 26–27 35–27 61–54 SG BBM Bietigheim 27–27 34–26 61–53Main Round Group 2 Győri ETO KC 26–33 29–33 55–66 RK Krim Ljubljana 29–21 25–24 54–45 Thüringer HC 31–24 29–21 60–46QF ŽRK Budućnost 25–18 24–19 49–37SF Győri ETO KC 22–31Bronze Match Metz Handball 31–30 2019–20 EHF Champions LeagueGroup A Metz Handball 38–38 17–26 55–64 RK Podravka Koprivnica 24–25 34–28 58–53 Ferencvárosi TC 31–22 34–29 65–51Main Round Group 1 Rostov-Don 29–32 26–33 55–65 Team Esbjerg 31–35 30–35 61–70 CSM București 23–25 22–28 45–532020–21EHF Champions League Winner Group A Rostov-Don 23–24 0–10 5th place Metz Handball 29–28 0–10 Team Esbjerg 28–28 27–27 Ferencvárosi TC 26–31 28–30 CSM București 30–25 29–22 SG BBM Bietigheim 10–0 33–29 RK Krim 37–30 27–26Round of 16 Odense Håndbold 35–36 30–26 65–62 QF Rostov-Don 34–27 23–23 57–50SF CSKA Moscow 33–30Final Brest Bretagne Handball 34–282021–22Champions League Winner Group B CSKA Moscow 24–27 32–28 2nd place RK Krim Mercator 27–26 37–20 Odense Håndbold 31–27 32–27 Győri Audi ETO KC 29–35 30–29 Metz Handball 18–23 25–31 Kastamonu Bld. GSK 39–25 35–24 IK Sävehof 34–25 42–23QF RK Krim Mercator 33–24 32–25 65–49SF Metz Handball 33–27Final Győri Audi ETO KC 33–312022–23EHF Champions League Winner Group A Odense Håndbold 34–27 34–24 1st place RK Krim Mercator 27–21 36–31 SG BBM Bietigheim 30–32 34–32 Brest Bretagne Handball 31–24 36–29 FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria 26–26 27–26 DHK Baník Most 43–21 39–24 CSM București 35–29 24–27 QF CS Rapid București 31–25 40–31 71–56SF Győri Audi ETO KC 37–35Final FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria 28–242023–24EHF Champions League Group B Team Esbjerg 37–38 37–32 4th place Metz Handball 34–36 29–31 CS Rapid București 29–30 35–30 FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria 37–26 35–27 Zagłębie Lubin 34–20 28–24 RK Krim Mercator 24–24 29–23 Ikast Håndbold 26–30 31–32 Playoffs DVSC Schaeffler 29–28 27–27 56–55 QF Győri ETO KC 23–30 26–24 49–542024–25EHF Champions League Group B Team Esbjerg 29–30 0–10 Withdrawn ŽRK Budućnost Podgorica 32–23 20–26 HB Ludwigsburg 30–23 29–33 Győri ETO KC 22–27 0–10 Brest Bretagne Handball 27–30 0–10 CS Rapid București 30–30 0–10 Odense Håndbold 26–24 0–10

References

External links Official website