Bethan Fagan

The eagerly anticipated Women’s League Round 2 took place across Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th. It was three days of women’s wheelchair basketball action at the UEL Sportsdock, with the Women’s Premier League match between East London Phoenix and Cardiff Met Archers taking place on Friday 28th.

Teams and their supporters took over the Sportsdock for Round 2 with no shortage of exciting moments across the two day competition. North Wales Knights 1 and 2 notably conceded no games, and Sheffield Steelers held on to their position top of Division 2.

Division 1

North Wales Knights 1 headed into the weekend top of the table, having won 4/4 of their previous matches in Round 1. They won their opening match against London Titans 1 (40:29), with Wakefield Whirlwinds 1 and Leicester Cobras 1 getting their Round 2 underway on the opposite court (42:27 to Wakefield Whirlwinds).

Leicester Cobras narrowly won their second match of the day against The Bears 1 (31:29) and North Wales 1 won their fixture against Wakefield Whirlwinds 38:32 – two for two for the Welsh team. London Titans 1 won their fixture against The Bears 37:25 to close out the first day.

Wakefield Whirlwinds got day two off to a good start with a 39:21 win against The Bears. North Wales Knights 1 won their first match of the day against Leicester Cobras 12:62. Finishing their day with a perfect set of results across the two days, North Wales Knights 1 won 40:33 against Wakefield Whirlwinds. London Titans played Leicester Cobras in the final match of Women’s League Round 2 to close out a fantastic weekend (London Titans won 54:39).

North Wales Knights 1 come away retaining their position at the top of the table, having won every match in Round 2. London Titans sit second on points and Wakefield Whirlwinds in third.

Division 2

Sheffield Steelers 1 came into the weekend as Division 2 leaders, having won every game they played in Round 1. They won their opening game against Eastern Blue Stars (16:31). Eastern Blue Stars got their first win against Glasgow Rollin’ Rocks (15:18). North Wales Knights 2 won their only game of the day in a close match against Sheffield Steelers 28:23, ending the Steelers winning streak of five games.

North Wales Knights 2 continued to build on their winning streak against Eastern Blue Stars (29:10) and Sheffield Steelers won their match on the opposite court against Glasgow Rollin’ Rocks 32:18. Division 2 of the Women’s League Round 2 ended with Glasgow Rollin’ Rocks defeated 11:33 by North Wales Knights 2.

With Round 2 concluded, Sheffield Steelers keep their position top of Division 2. North Wales Knights 2 are second on points. Glasgow Rollin’ Rocks sit in third.

The Women’s League will be back in action in Round 3, taking place 12th-13th March in Worcester.

Women’s League fixtures and results: https://britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk/competition/womens-league-2021-22/

Image credit: RBC Köln 99ers / Gero Müller-Laschet

BWB announced the appointment of the Team England wheelchair basketball coaches who will lead the men’s and women’s squads during the historic inaugural Commonwealth Games for the sport. 

Making history at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games wheelchair basketball will make its debut appearance in the competition as the first ever para team sport for Team England, and the first time the sport has been included within a Games.   

Experienced wheelchair basketball coaches, Mat Foden and Lucas Warburton, have been named as the Team England wheelchair basketball coaching team. Between the pair, they bring to the team a wealth of knowledge and experience of coaching at all levels of the game from domestic club environments through to school games, professional teams and national squads.  

Alongside the Team Leader for wheelchair basketball, Foden and Warburton will commence preparations for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games on the 27^th of March at Leeds Beckett at the North Trials, with South and Midlands scheduled over the coming months. Information on how to sign up for a Men’s and Women’s 3×3 trial is available below.  

On his appointment, Mat Foden commented:   
“3×3 is a relatively new format for wheelchair basketball and brings its own challenges, compared with the 5v5 game, for players and coaches alike, so to prepare the English teams for a Commonwealth Games will be an exciting and new experience I look forward to being a part of.”  

“It will be great to work alongside a talented young coach such as Lucas who has always had a good feel for the game and will bring lots of fresh ideas and value to our preparation and teams.”  

Joining Mat is Lucas Warburton, a young coach with plenty of experience in the domestic leagues.  

Commenting on his appointment, Lucas said:   

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for wheelchair basketball, making its first appearance at a major multi sporting event alongside non-disabled sports, hopefully bringing a greater spotlight onto wheelchair basketball and the incredible sport that it is.” 

Commenting on their appointments, Team Leader Justine Lucas said:   

 “I am really excited to have Mat and Lucas as the coaching team for the Commonwealth Games. They both bring something a little different, but I have no doubt they will work really well together to ensure we can show Birmingham what 3×3 is all about! I can’t wait to get working with them and to build towards the Games over the next 6 months.”  

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Selection for the Men’s and Women’s England 3×3 squads will be based on trials. Sign-ups for these trials is now officially open via Playwaze– see below for more information:   

North trial – Leeds Beckett – Sunday 27th March 2022 – https://bwb.playwaze.com/team-england-3×3/83bzhmo1wnqun/session-display?eventid=PhysicalEvents/16577-A&d=null   

South trial – Stoke Mandeville Stadium – Friday 15th April 2022 – https://bwb.playwaze.com/team-england-3×3/83bzhmo1wnqun/session-display?eventid=PhysicalEvents/16609-A&d=null   

Midlands trial – University of Nottingham – Sunday 5th June 2022 – https://bwb.playwaze.com/team-england-3×3/83bzhmo1wnqun/session-display?eventid=PhysicalEvents/16578-A  

You are only required to attend one trial. 

Please join the Playwaze 3×3 England Community and sign up to a trial by 5pm on Sunday 13th February. 

You will then be sent information on how to get accredited through Commonwealth Games England, which needs to be completed by Sunday 20th February.  

N.B. We will be unable to select you if you do not complete your accreditation by this cut off. 

For further information, contact Justine Lucas: j.lucas@britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk 

The National League 2021-2022 season continued this weekend with plenty of exciting fixtures across the country.

Division 1 North

Lancaster Bulldogs 1 suffered a defeat against Sheffield Steelers 2 at home, with the visiting side taking the win 50:61. Sheffield Steelers 2 currently sit second in the Division 1 North table and this result extends their winning streak to four games.

Division 1 South

The Bears 1 continued their winning ways with a confident 91:65 victory over visitors CWBA 2. Having won 6/7 of their games so far this season, The Bears 1 are holding firm at the top of the table in Division 1 South.

Division 2 South

Table leaders Sussex Bears 1 travelled to The Bears 2 where the home team took the victory 49:32 – a great Sunday for The Bears club fans as they won back-to-back fixtures in a home double header.

Elsewhere, Blackhawks 1 defeated visitors Thames Valley Kings 2 51:41. This was an important win for Blackhawks 1 in their tussle for top three with The Bears 2 and Plymouth Fusion 2.

Division 3 South

Thames Valley Kings 3 got a win on the road against the current table leaders as they defeated Folkestone Arrows 1 35:40, ending a three-game win streak for the home team.

Windsor Monarchs 1 suffered a defeat 21:58 against visitors Hampshire Harriers 1, who sit second in the table.

A full list of results and league tables are available here: https://britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk/competition/national-league

The Premier Division returns next weekend, notably with Glasgow Rollin’ Rocks 1 travelling to London Titans 1 as part of a triple header for the home team – this will be the first game of the year for both teams.

Round three of the British Wheelchair Basketball Junior League competition took place this weekend (15-16 January), with scores of young talent taking to the courts in pursuit of Elite 8s qualification. Qualifying for the Elite 8s competition gives teams the opportunity to earn a place in the Junior League gold medal match, taking place at the National Championships later this year.

In Pool A, Wakefield Whirlwinds came away with an enviable record of back-to-back wins, having not lost a game during this Junior League season so far. Wakefield Whirlwinds took on Scottish Wizards in the first match of the day, with Wakefield Whirlwinds winning 63:39. In the second fixture of the day, Mohawks defeated Scottish Wizards 47:33. Mohawks suffered a defeat in their final match of the day against Wakefield Whirlwinds, who took the victory 59:26.

In Pool C, Thames Valley Kings opened round three with a win against Aces Wheelchair Basketball Club (83-21). Next up, The Bears gave a solid winning performance against Aces Wheelchair Basketball Club in a high scoring match (40-60). On the third fixture of round three for Pool C, Thames Valley Kings took on The Bears and came away with their second victory of the day, beating The Bears 65-30.

Pool B was postponed and is being rescheduled.

Junior League 21/22 fixtures and results: https://britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk/competition/junior-league/