Rwanda Basketball League

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Rwanda Basketball League
File:National Basketball League (Rwanda) logo.png
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 championsREG (3rd title)
(2021–22)
Most championshipsPatriots (4 titles)
2021–22 RBL season

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).

The league currently consists of 14 teams, most of them being from the country's capital Kigali. The current champion of the NBL are REG, having won the 2022 title. REG and their rival Patriots BBC have dominated the league, winning all titles since 2015.

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

Team City
30 Plus Kigali
APR Kigali
Espoir Kigali
Patriots Kigali
REG Kigali
IPRC-Huye Huye
IPRC-Kigali Kigali
IPRC-Musanze Musanze
Rusizi Rusizi
Shoot for the Stars Kigali
Tigers Kigali
UGB Kigali
University of Rwanda Huye
University of Rwanda – CHMS Kigali

Sources: [4][nb 1]

Champions

Season Champions Runners-up Finals score Ref.
2007–08 APR
2008–09 APR
2009–10 KBC APR —
[6]
2010–11 APR
2011–12 Espoir (1)
2012–13 Espoir (2) APR
3–0
2013–14 Espoir (3) APR —
2014–15 Espoir (4)
2015–16 Patriots (1) Espoir —
2016–17 REG (1)
2017–18 Patriots (2) REG
3–2
2018–19 Patriots (3) REG
4–3
2019–20 Patriots (4) REG
76–61
 [7]
2020–21 REG (2) Patriots
2–0
 [8]
2021–22 REG (3) Patriots
3–2
 [9]

Performance by club

Club Wins Runners-up Seasons won Seasons runners-up
Patriots
4
1
 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020 2021, 2022
Espoir
4
1
 2004, 2012, 2013, 2014 2016
REG
3
 3 2017, 2021, 2022 2018, 2019, 2020
APR
3
 2 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014

Individual awards

Most Valuable Player

  • 2014: Democratic Republic of the Congo Mike Buzangu (Cercle Sportif de Kigali)[10]

Team of the Year

Season Players Coach
PG SG SF PF C
2019–20[11] Guibert Nijimbere (REG) Wilson Nshobozwa (REG) Dieudonné Ndizeye (Patriots) Bienvenu Niyonsaba (APR) Junior Kasongo (Patriots) Henry Mwinuka (REG)
2020–21[8] Adonis Filer (REG) Engelbert Beleck Bell (Patriots) Dieudonné Ndizeye (Patriots) Olivier Shyaka (REG) Tom Wamukota (Patriots) Henry Mwinuka (REG)
2021–22[12] 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)

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. ^ a b "About Ferwaba – Rwanda Basketball Federation". Retrieved 2022-10-02.
  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. ^ "KBC crowned Champions". The New Times | Rwanda. 2010-09-27. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  7. ^ Demba, Varore (2020-10-25). "Basket : Patriots champion du Rwanda". Sport News Africa (in French). Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  8. ^ a b c "Basketball: REG crowned national league champions". The New Times | Rwanda. 31 October 2021. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  9. ^ Sikubwabo, Damas (2022-09-19). "REG retain championship after Patriots win". The New Times. Retrieved 2022-09-19.
  10. ^ a b "Buzangu named hoops league 2014 MVP". The New Times. 2014-09-14. Retrieved 2022-08-20.
  11. ^ a b "PHOTOS: Ndizeye named MVP". The New Times | Rwanda. November 2, 2019.
  12. ^ a b Sikubwabo, Damas (2022-09-24). "Photos: Basketball: Axel Mpoyo named MVP as league winds up". The New Times. Retrieved 2022-10-02.

External links

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