Balkan Super League

Last updated

Balkan Super League
Current season or competition:
Rugby football current event.svg 2024 Balkan Super League season
Sport Rugby league
Inaugural season2017;7 years ago (2017)
Number of teams 5
Country Flag of Bulgaria.svg Bulgaria (1 teams)
Flag of Montenegro.svg Montenegro (1 team)
Flag of Serbia.svg Serbia (3 teams)
Champions Flag of Serbia.svg Partizan Belgrade RLFC (2024)
Most titles Flag of Serbia.svg Red Star Rugby League Club
5 titles)
Website BSL website
Broadcast partner Sportuzivo

The Balkan Super League is a rugby league football competition for clubs in the Balkans region of Europe. The competition operates in addition to the national leagues of the respective nations as a Champions League-style competition, with some clubs holding licences to compete annually, like the EuroLeague. As of 2022 clubs from Serbia, Greece, Turkey, Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy and Montenegro have competed.

Contents

History

The Balkan Super League first round started 11 April 2017. [1] Partizan defeated Red Star 32–26 in the inaugural Balkan Super League Grand Final. [2]

The competition will expand to 15 teams in 2018, with the addition of Greek, Montenegro and Albanian clubs. In the second Grand Final Red Star defeated Partizan. The 2019 season saw the competition split into two divisions. The 2020 season was planned to be a knock-out system with 11 clubs competing from 5 countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro and Turkey, but was cancelled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The 2022 format featured an incomplete round robin followed by a Grand Final.

Teams

Current clubs

Below are the teams for the 2023 season.

Division 1

TeamCountryDomestic League
Flag of Greece.svg AEK Athens Greece Greek Rugby League Association
Flag of Montenegro.svg Arsenal Tivat Montenegro Montenegro Rugby League
Flag of Bulgaria.svg Lokomotiv Sofia RLFC Bulgaria Bulgarian Rugby League
Flag of Serbia.svg Partizan Belgrade RLFC Serbia Serbian Rugby League Championship
Flag of Serbia.svg Radnicki Nis Serbia Serbian Rugby League Championship
Flag of Serbia.svg Red Star Belgrade RLFC Serbia Serbian Rugby League Championship

Source: [3] [4]

Division 2

TeamCountryDomestic League
Division 2 North
Flag of Turkey.svg Bilgi Badgers RLFC Turkey Turkish Rugby League Association
Flag of Turkey.svg Boshporus Wolves RLFC Turkey Turkish Rugby League Association
Flag of Bulgaria.svg Valiacite Pernik Bulgaria Bulgarian Rugby League
Flag of Serbia.svg Zemun Belgrade Serbia Serbian Rugby League Championship
Division 2 South
Flag of Albania.svg Tirana RLFC Albania Albanian Rugby League
Flag of Serbia.svg Morava Cheetahs Lescovka Serbia Serbian Rugby League Championship
Flag of Montenegro.svg Mornar Bar Montenegro Montenegro Rugby League

Former clubs

Source: [5]

Champions

Balkan Super League winners
SeasonWinnerCountry
2017Partizan Belgrade Flag of Serbia.svg Serbia
2018Red Star Belgrade Flag of Serbia.svg Serbia
2019Red Star Belgrade Flag of Serbia.svg Serbia
2020Partizan Belgrade Flag of Serbia.svg Serbia
2021Red Star Belgrade Flag of Serbia.svg Serbia
2022 Red Star Belgrade Flag of Serbia.svg Serbia
2023Red Star Belgrade Flag of Serbia.svg Serbia
2024Partizan Belgrade Flag of Serbia.svg Serbia

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References

  1. "Big wins at the start of Balkan Rugby League". RLEF.com. 11 April 2017. Archived from the original on 8 November 2017. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
  2. "Honours shared as Serbia reports best ever domestic season". RLEF. 21 November 2017. Archived from the original on 10 December 2017. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
  3. "Clubs". Balkanrl.com. 21 March 2019. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  4. BalkanRL (25 February 2023). "The seventh season of the Balkan Super begins". Balkanrl.com. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  5. "Clubs". Balkanrl.com. 21 March 2019. Retrieved 24 November 2022.