Bethan Fagan

Five clubs from the BWB National League will compete in the 2024 EuroCup competition. In EuroCup 1, London Titans will compete in Group A, and both Manchester Revolution and Sheffield Steelers will compete in Group B. In EuroCup 3, Plymouth Fusion will compete in Group C. Mohawks will compete in the 2025 EuroCup Qualification tournament.

Several GB Athletes representing their clubs from the Spanish, Italian and German leagues will compete in the competition. In EuroCup 2, Rhine River Rhinos (James Palmer) and Iberconsa Amfiv (Lewis Edwards) will compete in Group A. UCAM Murcia (Lee Fryer, Peter Cusack) will compete in Group B.

In the Champions Cup, Bidaideak Bilbao (James MacSorley) will compete in Group A, Briantea 84 Cantu (Sophie Carrigill) will compete in Group B and CD Ilunion (Gregg Warburton, Terry Bywater) will compete in Group C. Amiab Albacete (Harry Brown, Simon Brown, Ben Fox, Lee Manning, Charlotte Moore, Phil Pratt) will host the Quarter-finals. Amivel Reyes Gutierrez (Abdi Jama, Kyle Marsh) will compete in the 2025 EuroCup Qualification tournament.

Last year, Amiab Albacete won the 2023 EuroCup Champions Cup after a tough competition, winning 77:73 and claiming the title for the second time in a row.

Key dates:

Champions Cup and Eurocup 1 Group Stages: Thursday 1st – Sunday 4th February 2024

Eurocup 2 & 3 Group Stages and Champions Cup Quarter Finals: Thursday 7th – Sunday 10th March 2024

Eurocup Finals: Thursday 25th – Sunday 28th April 2024

Champions Cup Final 4: Thursday 2nd – Sunday 5th May 2024

All information can be found on the IWBF Europe website: https://www.iwbf-europe.org/

Best of luck and safe travels to everyone involved in the competition!

In Spain, a Friday night clash saw the top two teams in the BSR meet in Madrid as Amiab Albacete (Harry Brown, Simon Brown, Ben Fox, Lee Manning, Charlotte Moore, Phil Pratt) claimed the win 62:83 against hosts CD Ilunion (Gregg Warburton, Terry Bywater). For Amiab Albacete, Harry Brown had 1 point and 1 rebound. Simon Brown had 6 points and 1 assist. Ben Fox had 8 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists. Lee Manning had 1 point. Phil Pratt had 8 points, 8 rebounds and 13 assists. For CD Ilunion, Gregg Warburton had 2 points, 2 rebounds and 6 assists. Terry Bywater had 19 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists.

UCAM Murcia (Lee Fryer, Peter Cusack) maintain their winning streak with a 59:78 victory over Mideba Extremadura. Lee Fryer had 24 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists. Peter Cusack had 6 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists.

Amivel Reyes Gutierrez (Abdi Jama, Kyle Marsh) delivered a comprehensive 75:49 result against visitors IMF Getafe. Abdi Jama had 10 points and 1 rebound. Kyle Marsh had 15 points, 5 rebounds and 11 assists.

Bidaideak Bilbao (James MacSorley) won 82:52 at home versus Menarini Joventut. James MacSorley had 8 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist.

In a tight game, Iberconsa Amfiv (Lewis Edwards) narrowly took the win 76:73 over Servigest Burgos (Helen Freeman). For Iberconsa Amfiv, Lewis Edwards had 9 points, 14 rebounds and 7 assists. For Servigest Burgos, Helen Freeman had 1 assist.

In Germany, Rhine River Rhinos (Jim Palmer) were defeated 64:55 by Thuringia Bulls. Jim Palmer had 2 rebounds.

At home in the BWB National League Premier Division, Jaguars took the win 76:68 over Manchester Revolution (Martin Edwards, Tyler Baines). Martin Edwards had 41 points, 12 rebounds and 2 assists. Tyler Baines had 11 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists.

Elsewhere, the players selected to represent GB in the Kitakyushu Champions Cup, a Men’s U30s competition in Japan, have been announced. Find out more: https://britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk/2023/11/squad-announcement-for-kitakyushu-champions-cup-2023/

Spanish League: http://bsr.feddf.es/

German League: https://rollstuhlbasketball.de/

BWB National League: https://britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk/competition/national-league/

Italian League: https://www.federipic.it/

University of Alabama (USA): https://bamaadapted.com/sports/wbball?path=wbball

Image credit: BWB / Ahmedphotos

Photo credit: Sarah Hope

British Wheelchair Basketball are proud to announce the players selected to compete in the upcoming Kitakyushu Champions Cup.

The Kitakyushu Champions Cup is a U30s competition hosted in Japan. This will be the 20^th edition of this competition, which is aimed to provide high-level competition for athletes aspiring to represent their country on the elite stage. GB will compete against Japan and Korea.

The named GB U30s team highlights the quality and depth across the pathway, with three quarters of the squad under the age of 22. This competition is an exciting and important development opportunity for players who have potential to play for the GB Men’s senior team.

Joey Johnson will lead the team as Head Coach, with Mark Stevenson providing key support as Assistant Coach. Joey Johnson is one half of the current GB Men coaching team alongside Bill Johnson, having coached the team to Gold at the 2023 European Championships and Silver at the 2022 IWBF World Championships (held in 2023). Mark Stevenson coached Scottish Wizards to claim the Junior League trophy last season and has gained valuable experience from his time developing the Scotland national teams.  

The players representing GB U30 at the Kitakyushu Champions Cup 2023 are:

Vest # – Full Name – Classification

5 – Abderrahim Taghrest – 1.0

6 – Finley Tonner – 3.0

7 – Daniel McLaughlin – 1.5

9 – Tyler Baines – 3.5

10 – James Hazell – 2.0

11 – Jack Long – 3.5

13 – Alex Wilson – 3.0

14 – Nathan McCabe – 2.5

15 – Finlay Erskine – 4.0

16 – Elliot Hardman – 3.5

17 – Tom Harvey – 3.0

19 – Jack Perry – 4.5

Games get started on Friday 10^th November through to Sunday 12^th November. All games will be streamed via the event’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9MYVB7vaYbpyNOE08tlWmA

Photo credit: Sarah Hope

Women’s League returns this weekend as Round 1 takes place in Worcester 4^th/5^th November.

New this year is Emerald Rollers, a guest team entry from Republic of Ireland. Following last season’s result, Mohawks 1 were promoted to Division 1 and have entered a second team. The increase in teams entering Division 2 is a positive sign of growth as the league continues to build, leading to Division 2 being split into Pool A and Pool B this year.

Round 1 is being hosted at the University of Worcester Arena, with all three courts in action across two full days of wheelchair basketball fixtures. The next stages of the competition take place across the following weekends:

Round 2 – 3/4th February 2024 – Loughborough University

Round 3 – 2/3rd March 2024 – Cardiff Met University

Competing in Women’s League 2023/24 season are the following teams:

Division 1:

London Titans 1, Mohawks 1, Cardiff Met Archers 1, Sheffield Steelers 1, Wakefield Whirlwinds 1, Leicester Cobras 1

Division 2 – Pool A:

Wakefield Whirlwinds 2, Sparrows 1, Swansea Storm 1, Emerald Rollers 1, Bath Romans 1

Division 2 – Pool B:

Mohawks 2, Northern Ireland Academy 1, Eastern Blue Stars 1, The Bears 1

Best of luck to all the teams taking part, and a huge shout-out goes to the Officials and volunteers who make the sport happen!

Fixtures / Results: https://britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk/competition/womens-league-2023-24/

At home in the BWB National League Premier Division, Manchester Revolution (Martin Edwards, Tyler Baines) won 56:75 against Plymouth Fusion. Martin Edwards had 22 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists. Tyler Baines had 19 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists.

 In Germany, Rhine River Rhinos (Jim Palmer) go 4/4 with a comprehensive 76:37 victory over RB Zwickau. Jim Palmer had 2 rebounds and 2 assists.

In Spain, there was a midweek clash of GB players on the court as Amiab Albacete (Harry Brown, Simon Brown, Ben Fox, Lee Manning, Charlotte Moore, Phil Pratt) won 80:42 against Amivel Reyes Gutierrez (Abdi Jama, Kyle Marsh). For Amiab Albacete, Harry Brown had 6 rebounds. Simon Brown had 2 rebounds. Ben Fox had 27 points, 10 rebounds and 3 assists. Phil Pratt had 17 points, 7 rebounds and 16 assists. For Amivel Reyes Gutierrez, Abdi Jama had 4 points and 1 assist. Kyle Marsh had 8 points, 1 rebound and 3 assists.

CD Ilunion (Gregg Warburton, Terry Bywater) won 75:97 on the road against Econy Gran Canaria. Gregg Warburton had 12 points, 1 rebound and 12 assists. Terry Bywater had 15 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists.

Bidaideak Bilbao (James MacSorley) had a 57:77 victory over IMF Getafe. James MacSorley had 3 rebounds and 1 assist.

UCAM Murcia (Lee Fryer, Peter Cusack) had a 65:55 home victory against visitors Iberconsa Amfiv (Lewis Edwards). For Ucam Murcia, Lee Fryer had 22 points, 12 rebounds and 9 assists. Peter Cusack had 17 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists. For Iberconsa Amfiv, Lewis Edwards had 13 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists.

In Italy, Briantea 84 Cantù (Sophie Carrigill) won 75:51 at home against Special Bergamo Sport Montello. Sophie Carrigill had 1 rebound.

In the US, University of Alabama (Joy Haizelden) competed in the ABC Medical Classic. In the opening game, Alabama were defeated 71:51 by ABC Medical Legends. Joy Haizelden had 3 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists. In the second game of the competition, Alabama won 42:56 against Lakeshore. Joy Haizelden had 10 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists.

Spanish League: http://bsr.feddf.es/

German League: https://rollstuhlbasketball.de/

BWB National League: https://britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk/competition/national-league/

Italian League: https://www.federipic.it/

University of Alabama (USA): https://bamaadapted.com/sports/wbball?path=wbball

Image credit: BWB / SA Images

British Wheelchair Basketball continually reviews its policies and procedures to ensure we are implementing strong governance across the sport.

The following policies have been updated and are now live on the BWB website. A summary of changes are as follows:

• Safeguarding Policy
• Safeguarding Procedures – Adults
• Safeguarding Procedures – Children
• Disciplinary Policy

Amendment:

• Update to Sport Integrity Service wording on the Safeguarding Policy and Disciplinary Policy.

The policies can be found on our policies page: https://britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk/rules-regulations/policies/

British Wheelchair Basketball are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Keith Kershaw, who dedicated a significant amount of his time to the sport domestically and internationally.

Ian Pursglove, current BWB Officials Appointments Officer, paid tribute:

“Keith was an active and well-respected member of the wheelchair basketball family and his passing will leave a big hole not only in the West Midlands but across the country. Keith a well-loved International Referee, refereeing in Atlanta 1996 as well as being a BWB Referee for over 30 years which is what many people will know and love him for.

“Some people may not know that he also fulfilled a number of vital voluntary roles for GBWBA, acting as League secretary in the late 90’s amongst other things. However, first and foremost, Keith was the first smile to great you at every game and a valued mentor, colleague and friend to many in the sport.”

The thoughts of everyone at British Wheelchair Basketball are with Keith’s family, friends and former Officiating colleagues at this incredibly sad time.

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Update:

Details for Keith Kershaw’s funeral as follows:
Friday 17th November, 10:45 am.
Sandwell Valley Crematorium
Newton Road
West Bromwich
B71 3SX

Family flowers only. Donations to Parkinson’s UK. Jane would also like to thank everyone for their kind messages and condolences.

Image: BWB / SA Images

At home in the BWB National League, London Titans 1 (Jack Perry, Jude Hamer, Gaz Choudhry) got their 2023/24 season off to a strong start in the Premier Division with a 76:64 victory over Jaguars. Gaz Choudhry had 23 points.

In Italy, Briantea 84 Cantù (Sophie Carrigill) got their season underway with a dominant 73:25 win against visitors Farmacia Pellicanò RC BIC. Sophie Carrigill had 2 points.

In Spain, UCAM Murcia (Lee Fryer, Peter Cusack) won 61:69 against hosts Servigest Burgos (Helen Freeman). For UCAM Murcia, Lee Fryer had 26 points, 9 rebounds and 10 assists. Peter Cusack had 14 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. For Servigest Burgos, Helen Freeman had 4 points, 3 rebounds and 6 assists.

Amivel Reyes Gutierrez (Abdi Jama, Kyle Marsh) were defeated 66:75 by visitors Econy Gran Canaria. For Amivel Reyes Gutierrez, Abdi Jama had 1 rebound and 3 assists. Kyle Marsh had 8 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists.

CD Ilunion (Gregg Warburton, Terry Bywater) had a comprehensive 79:34 victory over Fundacion Aliados. Gregg Warburton had 4 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists. Terry Bywater had 7 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist.

Amiab Albacete (Harry Brown, Simon Brown, Ben Fox, Lee Manning, Charlotte Moore, Phil Pratt) had a 57:67 victory on the road against Bidaideak Bilbao (James MacSorley). Harry Brown had 5 points and 2 rebounds. Simon Brown had 4 points and 2 rebounds. Ben Fox had 17 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist. Phil Pratt had 8 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists. For Bidaideak Bilbao, James MacSorley had 2 points, 1 rebound and 2 assists.

Iberconsa Amfiv (Lewis Edwards) won 67:71 over Menarini Joventut. Lewis Edwards had 10 points, 5 rebounds and 9 assists.

In Germany, Rhine River Rhinos (Jim Palmer) won 54:61 against RBB RBB München Iguanas. Jim Palmer had 2 rebounds.

Image: BWB / SA Images