Organising body | FERWABA |
---|---|
Founded | 1977 |
First season | 1977 |
Country | Rwanda |
Number of teams | 10 |
Level on pyramid | 1 |
Relegation to | Rwanda Basketball League Division 2 |
Domestic cup(s) | Rwanda Cup |
Supercup | Rwanda Super Cup |
International cup(s) | Basketball Africa League (BAL) |
Current champions | APR (14th title) (2023) |
Most championships | APR (14 titles) |
2024 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 10 teams, most of them being from the country's capital Kigali. The current champion of the RBL are APR, who are the league’s most decorated team with a record 14 championships. Other notable teams are REG and their rivals Patriots, who have been powerhouses in recent years.
Since the 2021–22 season, the FERWABA also organises the RBL Division 2 to which the bottom two teams of the RBL relegate. [2]
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. The league changed its name to the Rwanda Basketball League (RBL) in 2023. FERWABA introduced two new competitions, the Rwanda Cup and the Rwanda Super Cup, for the 2024 season. [4]
The following teams will play in the 2024 RBL season:
Team | City | Founded | Joined |
---|---|---|---|
APR | Kigali | 1993 | |
Espoir | 2003 | ||
Patriots | 2014 | ||
Inspired Generation | 2022 | 2024 | |
Kigali Titans | 2021 | 2023 | |
Kepler | 2022 | 2024 | |
REG | 2016 | ||
Orion BBC | 2022 | 2023 | |
Tigers | 2019 | ||
UGB | 1998 |
Sources: [5]
Team | City | Founded | Last season |
---|---|---|---|
30 Plus | Kigali (Kimisagara) | 2006 | 2021 |
IPRC-Huye | Huye | ||
IPRC-Kigali | Kigali | ||
IPRC-Musanze | Ruhengeri, Musanze | ||
Rusizi | Rusizi | ||
Shoot for the Stars | Kigali | ||
University of Rwanda | Huye | ||
University of Rwanda – CHMS | Kigali |
The following is a list of all documented Rwandan top-flight league champions: [7]
The following is a list of the league's final playoff series, or if not applicable the season's final standings.
Season | Champions | Runners-up | Finals score | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2007 | Marines | CSK | ||
2007–08 | APR | Marines | ||
2008–09 | APR | |||
2009–10 | Kigali Basketball Club | APR | — | |
2010–11 | Kigali Basketball Club | |||
2011–12 | Espoir (1) | KBC | 3–1 | [9] |
2012–13 | Espoir (2) | APR | 3–0 | |
2013–14 | Espoir (3) | APR | — | |
2014–15 | Espoir (4) | Patriots | 3–1 | [10] |
2015–16 | Patriots (1) | Espoir | — | |
2016–17 | Patriots (2) | REG | 3–1 | [11] |
2017–18 | Patriots (2) | REG | 3–2 | [12] |
2018–19 | Patriots (3) | REG | 4–3 | [13] |
2019–20 | Patriots (4) | REG | 76–61 | [14] |
2020–21 | REG (1) | Patriots | 2–0 | [15] |
2021–22 | REG (2) | Patriots | 3–2 | [16] |
2023 | APR (14) | REG | 4–0 | [17] |
Club | Wins | Runners-up | Seasons won | Seasons runners-up |
---|---|---|---|---|
APR | 14 | 2 | 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2023 | 2013, 2014 |
Patriots | 4 | 1 | 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020 | 2017, 2021, 2022 |
Espoir | 5 | 1 | 2004, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 | 2016 |
REG | 3 | 4 | 2017, 2021, 2022 | 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2023 |
Kigali Basketball Club | 2 | 1 | 2010, 2011 | 2012 |
Marines | 1 | 1 | 2007 | 2008 |
After each RBL season, one player is named the Most valuable player of the competition. Olivier Shyaka is the only player to have won at least two MVP awards.
Season | Player | Club | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
2012 | Aristide Mugabe | Espoir | [18] |
2013 | Bienvenu Ngandu | Espoir (2) | [9] |
2014 | Mike Buzangu | Cercle Sportif de Kigali | [18] |
2015 | Olivier Shyaka | Espoir (3) | [10] |
2016 | Kubwimana Kazingufu Ali | Patriots | [19] |
2017 | Kami Kabange | REG | [11] |
2018 | Sedar Sagamba | Patriots (2) | |
2019 | Dieudonné Ndizeye | Patriots (3) | [20] |
2021 | Olivier Shyaka (2) | REG (2) | [15] |
2022 | Axel Mpoyo | REG (3) | [21] |
2023 | Olivier Turatsinze | Espoir (4) | [22] |
Since 2023, the league also gives an award to the best performing player of the playoffs.
Season | Player | Club | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
2023 | Nshimiyimana Yoronimu | IPRC KIGALI BBC | [23] |
Players in bold were named the season's Most Valuable Player.
Season | Players | Coach | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PG | SG | SF | PF | C | ||
2014–15 [10] | Aristide Mugabe (Espoir) | Mike Buzangu (KBC) | Lionnel Hakizimana (Espoir) | Olivier Shyaka (Espoir) | Bienvenue Ngandu (Espoir) | |
2016–17 | Aristide Mugabe (Patriots) | Benjamin Mukengerwa (REG) | Dieudonné Ndizeye (IPRC-Kigali) | Olivier Shyaka (Espoir) | Kami Kabange (REG) | |
2019–20 [20] | Guibert Nijimbere (REG) | Wilson Nshobozwa (REG) | Dieudonné Ndizeye (Patriots) | Bienvenu Niyonsaba (APR) | Junior Kasongo (Patriots) | Henry Mwinuka (REG) |
2020–21 [15] | Adonis Filer (REG) | Engelbert Beleck Bell (Patriots) | Dieudonné Ndizeye (Patriots) | Olivier Shyaka (REG) | Tom Wamukota (Patriots) | Henry Mwinuka (REG) |
2021–22 [21] | Adonis Filer (REG) | Kenny Gasana (Patriots) | Steven Hagumintwari (Patriots) | Axel Mpoyo (REG) | Pitchou Kambuy Manga (REG) | Henry Mwinuka (REG) |
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:
Club | Participations | Seasons | Best result |
---|---|---|---|
APR | 3 | 2007, 2008, 2009 | 3rd place (2009) |
Patriots | 1 | 2021 | Fourth place (2021) |
REG | 1 | 2022 | Quarterfinals (2022) |
Season | Representative | Road to BAL | Main competition | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
W | L | Result | Qualified | W | L | Result | |||
2021 | Patriots | 9 | 0 | Gold | 3 | 3 | Fourth place | ||
2022 | REG | Qualified directly | 4 | 2 | Quarter-finals | ||||
2023 | REG | Qualified directly | |||||||
Total | 9 | 0 | 7 | 5 |
Kenneth Gasana is a Rwandan professional basketball player who currently plays for Bangui Sporting Club of the Road to BAL. Born in the United States, he represents Rwanda internationally.
Aristide Mugabe is a Rwandan professional basketball player and assistant coach for Kepler of the Rwanda Basketball League (RBL). He played 11 years for the Rwanda national team during his career. He is widely regarded as one of the best players in Rwandan basketball history.
Patriots Basketball Club, also known as simply Patriots, is a basketball club based in Kigali, Rwanda. Established in 2014, it plays its home games at Amahoro Indoor Stadium. The team is a four-time champion of the Rwanda Basketball League (RBL).
Kami Kabange is a Congolese-born naturalized Rwandan former basketball player. Standing at 2.03 m, he plays as center. He had a 12-season long career for different clubs in East Africa. Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, he is a naturalised Rwandan citizen and represented the Rwanda national team.
Rwanda Energy Group BBC, commonly known as REG, is a Rwandan basketball club based in Kigali. It is owned and named after the company Rwanda Energy Group Limited. It plays in the Rwanda Basketball League (RBL), the highest tier of basketball in Rwanda. REG has won the national championship thrice, in 2017, 2021 and 2022.
Armée Patriotique Rwandaise Basketball Club, commonly known simply as APR, is a Rwandan basketball club based in Kigali. Owned and funded by the Ministry of Defence of Rwanda, the team plays in the Rwanda Basketball League (RBL) and in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) for the 2024 season. It is the most decorated team in the country, as APR has won 14 national championships.
Jean-Victor "JV" Mukama is a Canadian-Rwandan professional basketball player. Standing at 203 cm, he is a versatile forward.
Tom "Bush" Wamukota is a Kenyan professional basketball player for APR of the Rwanda Basketball League. He has played for the Kenya national team.
Dieudonné Ndayisaba Ndizeye is a Rwandan basketball player for REG and the Rwanda national team. He is a three-time RBL champion and a one-time league MVP winner in 2019. Ndizeye has played two seasons in the BAL as well.
Jean Jacques "J. J." Wilson Nshobozwabyosenumukiza is a Rwandan basketball player who currently plays for REG on loan from APR of the Rwanda Basketball League (RBL). He is also a member of the Rwanda national basketball team.
Adonis Jovon Filer is a Rwandan-American basketball player who currently plays for APR. He also plays for the Rwanda national basketball team in International competitions.
The Rwanda Basketball League Division 2 is the second-highest men's basketball competition in Rwanda, after the Rwanda Basketball League (RBL). On 1 December 2021, the FERWABA announced the creation of the new competition. Its inaugural season began on April 1, 2022, with sixteen teams divided in three groups. As of 2024, the league has 24 teams.
The 2023 BAL season, also known as BAL Season 3, was the third season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL). The season began on 11 March 2023 and ended on 27 May 2023. The playoffs were played in the BK Arena in Kigali, which hosted the final stage for a third season in a row. The regular season was played in Dakar, Senega and Cairo, Egypt, both venues hosted a conference for a second year in a row.
Ntore Habimana is a Canadian-born Rwandan basketball player for the APR of the Rwanda Basketball League (RBL). He is a member of the Rwanda national team. His position has been described as a point forward.
The 2021–22 RBL season is the 1st season of the Rwanda Basketball League under its new name. The season began on March 11, 2022 and ended September 19, 2022.
Pitchou Kambuy Manga is a Congolese basketball player who plays for REG of the Rwanda Basketball League. He also plays for the DR Congo men's national basketball team.
The Kigali Titans are a Rwandan professional basketball team based in Kigali. The team plays in the Rwanda Basketball League (RBL), the highest national level.
The 2023 RBL season was the second season of the Rwanda Basketball League under its current name, while the top-level competition has been organised by the FERWABA for a longer time. The season began on 12 January 2023 with the regular season. The playoffs will begin on 23 August and ended on 9 September 2023.
William Kiah Perry is an American professional basketball player for Patriots of the Rwanda Basketball League (RBL). Standing at 1.83 m, Perry plays as point guard. Alumnus of Lenoir–Rhyne University, he has played several years of professional basketball in Europe and Africa. Perry is the joint record holder for most points in a single BAL game and was the recipient of the BAL Sportsmanship Award in 2023.
Odile Tetero is a Rwandan basketball player who plays for the Rwandan women's Basketball National Team. She was named the Most Valuable Player in the 2022/2023 Rwanda Basketball League (RBL) playoffs. She has earned recognition as one of the best point guards in Rwandan basketball.
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