Basketball Ireland National Leagues to expand from 42 to 49 teams for 2018/19 season

Basketball Ireland has today announced that the Men’s and Women’s National Leagues will expand from 42 teams to 49 teams for the upcoming 2018/19 season.

New additions to the Men’s Super League sees the promotion of Keane’s SuperValu Killorglin and Neptune to the division at the cost of Éanna and KUBS who will play their basketball in the Men’s Division One next year.

In the Women’s Super League meanwhile, Marble City Hawks and Fr Mathews have been promoted to the Super League to make a 10-team league, while Portlaoise Panthers have been regraded to the Women’s Division One.

Meanwhile, the two Division One leagues have experienced big growth this year. The Men’s Division One league will expand from 14 teams last season to 17 teams this year.  This growth will see the division split into two conferences – north and south – and sees three men’s teams in Limerick: LIT, UL Eagles and Limerick Celtics. Tolka Rovers and WIT Vikings will also join the league this year.

The Women’s Division One is also experiencing growth, moving from seven teams last year, to a 10-team league this year, including new teams Phoenix Rockets (Ulster), Maree and St Mary’s Castleisland, as well as a second Limerick team – Limerick Celtics – to bring the total number of national league teams (men’s and women’s) in Limerick to five.

Speaking about the growth across the men’s and women’s games, Secretary General of Basketball Ireland, Bernard O’Byrne stated: “The numerical growth of our National League is very encouraging, as indeed is the geographical spread. However, we also need to be firmly focused on improving and maintaining playing standards, presentation of the games and the need to make all our games family social events. We are heading in the right direction but there is still a lot more to be done.”

Fixtures for the divisions will be announced next month.

Basketball Ireland Men’s Super League teams 2018/19

Belfast Star

DCU Saints

Garvey’s Tralee Warriors

Griffith College Swords Thunder

Keane’s SuperValu Killorglin

Maree

Moycullen

Neptune

Pyrobel Killester

Templeogue BC

UCC Demons

UCD Marian

Basketball Ireland Women’s Super League teams 2018/19

Ambassador UCC Glanmire

Courtyard Liffey Celtics

DCU Mercy

Fr Mathews

IT Carlow Basketball

Marble City Hawks

Maxol WIT Wildcats

NUIG Mystics

Pyrobel Killester

Singleton SuperValu Brunell

Basketball Ireland Men’s Division One teams 2018/19

Northern Conference

Abby Seals Dublin Lions

Eanna

EJ Sligo All Stars

Tolka Rovers

KUBS

LYIT Donegal

Titans

 Ulster University Elks

Southern Conference

Ballincollig

Fr Mathews

IT Carlow Basketball

Limerick Celtics

LIT

Portlaoise Panthers

Scotts Lakers St Paul’s Killarney

UL Eagles

WIT Vikings

Women’s Division One teams 2018/19

Northern Conference

Fabplus North West

Trinity Meteors

Phoenix Rockets

Ulster University Elks

Griffith College Swords Thunder

Southern Conference 

Limerick Celtics

Maree

Portlaoise Panthers

St Mary’s Castleisland

UL Huskies