Bethan Fagan

Ahead of the Kukri National Junior Championships taking place this weekend (5th-6th August, Worcester), we’re proud to celebrate the athletes and staff who will be representing their regions / Home Nations in this exciting competition!

We are delighted to have five teams in the U18s competition and eight in the U14s, providing a competitive and fun environment for the youngest participants in our sport.

England North:

Head Coach – Aaron Hirst
Team Manager – Becky Ramsden

Ollie Porter – 1.0. National/ Junior League – Mohawks
Hayley Cassin – 1.5. National/Women’s League – Sheffield Steelers
Matthew Smedley – 1.5. National/ Junior League – Mohawks
Henley Cavanagh – 2.0. National League – Manchester Revolution, Junior League – Swansea Storm
Oliver Wightman – 2.0. National/ Junior League – Mohawks
Emily Branthwaite – 3.0. National / Junior League – Mohawks, Women’s League – London Titans/ Mohawks. WPL – East London Phoenix
George Hazard (C) – 4.5. National/ Junior League – Mohawks
Bradley Thompson – 4.5. National League – Sheffield Steelers, Junior League – Wakefield Whirlwinds

England Central:

Head Coach: Zviko Chigumba
Assistant Coach: Tom Smith
Team Manager: George Gray

Joshua Prickett – 1.0. National/Junior League – Aces
Kamari Parker – 1.5. National/Junior League – The Bears
Sam Appleton – 2.0. National/Junior League – Aces
Sean Chigumba – 2.0. National/ Junior League – Aces
Lillie Hickman – 2.5. National/Junior League – The Bears, Women’s League – CWBA, WPL – Worcester Wolves
Wyatt Millward – 4.5. National/Junior League – The Bears
Elana Brand (C) – 4.5. National/Junior League – Aces, Women’s League – CWBA, WPL – Worcester Wolves
Finlay Dowdeswell – 5.0. National League – CWBA, Junior League – The Bears

England South:

Head Coach: Beth Wheeler
Assistant Coach: Jack Davey
Team Manager: Percy Hutchful

Nakita Wright – 1.0. National League – Cardiff Met Archers, Womens League – Sparrows/CWBA
Connor McElroy – 1.5. National League – Southern Sharks, Junior League – London Titans
Chloe Fiveash – 3.0. National League – Southern Sharks, Junior/Womens League – London Titans, WPL – East London Phoenix
Landen Brett – 3.0. National League – Southern Sharks
Zach Greary – 3.5. National/Junior League – Thames Valley Kings
Joel Clifton (C) – 3.5. National League – Plymouth Fusion
Lila Davis – 5.0 – National/Junior/Women’s League – London Titans
Conal O’Donovan – 5.0. National/Junior League – Thames Valley Kings

Scotland

Charlie Redmond – 2.0 – Lothian Phoenix
Ben Flanigan – 3 – Lothian Phoenix
Finlay Erskine – 4.0 – Lothian Phoenix
Daniel Mclaughlin – 1.5 – Glasgow Rollin Rocks
David Mclaughlin – 1.0 – Lothian Phoenix
Roman Murray – 5.0 – Lothian Phoenix
Kai Goldie – 3.0 – Lothian Phoenix
Jack Caird – 3.0 – Grampian Flyers
Shayne Humphries – 3.0 – Lothian Phoenix/Dundee Dragons
Owen Leitch – 5.0 – Dundee Dragons

Head Coach: Mark Stevenson
Team Manager: Brian Boreland

Wales

Head Coach: Jen Browning
Assistant Coach: Oliver Griffith-Salter
Team Manager: Dan May

Kai Hamilton Frisby – 1.0. Junior League – Aberystwyth
Mason Pendergrast – 1.0. Junior League – North Wales Knights
Ryan Jones – 1.5. Junior League – North Wales Knight
Corey Cox – 2.5. National & Junior League – Swansea Storm
Daniel Berry – 3.0. National League – Swansea Storm
Libi Phillips – 3.5. National/ Women’s League / WPL – Cardiff Met Archers, Junior League – North Wales Knights
Destyn Blake – 4.5. National & Junior League – Swansea Storm
Millie Stott – 5.0. Junior & Women’s League – North Wales Knights
Jack Scott – 5.0. National & Junior League – North Wales Knights

Find out more about the upcoming Kukri National Junior Championships: https://britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk/junior-championships-2023/

by Justine Baynes, CEO of British Wheelchair Basketball

I am delighted to announce that British Wheelchair Basketball is launching a major review into our Junior programme, with the intention of creating an experience for our young athletes that will help them get the very best out of our sport. We recognise that the number of athletes under the age of 18 has declined by around 40% over the last five years and we need to take steps to reverse that. We want to grow the number of young people enjoying our sport, both at grassroots level and through our high performance pathways.

The review will be conducted by an independent organisation, Enlightful, and will be split into two parts. The first part is a consultation that we are launching at our National Junior Championships in Worcester this weekend (5th-6th August 2023). We will be running sessions for U18 and U14 players, coaches, officials, pathway staff from Home Nations and parents.

We will also be running focus groups with BWB staff, DiSE athletes and coaches, technical officials, Inspire A Generation delivery partners, current GB academy players throughout August. We will also talk to those who have left the sport to understand why they made that decision and what we could have done differently. All BWB members will also have the chance to contribute via an online questionnaire that will be sent to every member.

This insight will inform a greater understand of the current athlete experience, provide an informed view of what best practice might look like over the next ten years and create recommendations for how we can develop the experience at all levels for young athletes. It will also include recommendations for communication channels and styles.

To sum it up, this review will enable us to work with our U18 community to co-create a system where we can provide the right opportunities for those athletes, parents, coaches and everyone involved to get the most out of our sport. It is important to us that we don’t just impose a new system, but that we listen to what the community wants and needs. We want to create an experience together that will support all young athletes in our sport so that everyone has a positive experience from wheelchair basketball.

Please do engage with the team from Enlightful on this process – it will only work if you add your voice.

The second part of the process is that we will take the recommendations and implement them. We will share with you what these recommendations are and how and when they will be implemented.

This review has been made possible by a grant from the Commonwealth Games Legacy Fund and we are grateful to them for supporting the project.

National Junior Championships takes place 5th-6th August in Worcester – find out more: https://britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk/junior-championships-2023/

The Kukri National Junior Championships returns on the 5th and 6th August, taking place at the University of Worcester Arena. An integral part of the talent pathway, this competition is a showcase for the best talent across the country in U14s and U18s.

The U18’s competition consists of teams from the three regional hubs across England, and Scotland and Wales.

The U14s competition will be comprised of regional associations, Home Nations and clubs. The competition will be in the 4v4 format and have no classification in place to encourage as many teams to attend the event as possible.

We are delighted to have five teams in the U18s competition and eight in the U14s, providing a competitive and fun environment for the youngest participants in our sport.

U18s Competition – team list

Wales

Scotland

England – North

England – Central

England – South

U14s Competition – team list

Entry is free for spectators. See the full schedule on the dedicated Kukri National Junior Championships 2023 page: https://britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk/junior-championships-2023/

Preparations are well underway ahead of the 2023-24 National League season, with teams across the country working hard through the summer off-season to ready themselves for the challenges ahead.

BWB are pleased to confirm the league structure for the Premier Division, Divisions 1 – 3, Women’s League, and Junior League in the 2023/2024 season – see below:

Premier Division
Jaguars
London Titans
Manchester Revolution
Mohawks
Plymouth Fusion
Sheffield Steelers

Division 1 North
Lothian Phoenix
Mohawks 2
Mohawks 3
Northern Ireland Academy
Sheffield Steelers 2
Wakefield Whirlwinds 1
Wakefield Whirlwinds 2

Division 1 South
Aces
Cardiff Met Archers
CWBA 2
High Rollers
London Titans 2
Reading Rockets
Southern Sharks
The Bears

Division 2 North
North Wales Knights
Jaguars 2
Manchester Revolution 2
Mohawks 4
Lothian Phoenix 2
Leicester Cobras

Division 2 South
Exeter Otters
Plymouth Fusion 2
Reading Rockets 2
Blackhawks
London Titans 3
Brixton Ballers
Aces 2

Division 3 North
Lancaster Bulldogs
Southport
North East Warriors
Lothian Phoenix 3
Wakefield Whirlwinds 3
Sheffield Steelers 3

Division 3 Central
North Wales Knights 2
CWBA 3
CWBA 4
Leicester Cobras 2
Stoke Spitfires
Swansea Storm
The Bears 2

Division 3 South
Southern Sharks 2
Cardiff Met Archers 2
Folkestone Arrows
Hampshire Harriers
Hereward Heat
London Titans 4
Thames Valley Kings

Women’s League Division 1
CWBA
Cardiff Met
Leicester Cobras
London Titans
Mohawks
Sheffield Steelers
Wakefield Whirlwinds

Women’s League Division 2
Bath Romans
Eastern Blue Stars
Ireland Women
Mohawks 2
Northern Ireland
Sparrows
Swansea Storm
The Bears
Wakefield Whirlwinds 2

Junior League South
Aberystwyth
Aces
London Titans
Swansea Storm

Junior League North
Lothian Phoenix
Mohawks
The Bears
Wakefield Whirlwinds

Interested in getting involved in wheelchair basketball? Use the BWB Club Finder to see which club is nearest to you: https://britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk/get-involved/play/club-finder/

_{Edited to reflect CWBA’s withdrawal from the Premier Division for the 23/24 season}

Ahead of the upcoming Kukri National Junior Championships, trials are being held for the three regional England U18 teams – Northern, Central and South.

Coaches are encouraged to discuss the trials with young athletes in their club. Players can attend one of the three open trials across the country.

Players wanting to trial are required to have 2022/2023 Junior Membership and a 2022/2023 Player License. Prior to attending, players must sign up on the corresponding Playwaze activity (see below)

Hub: North
Date: Sunday 23^rd July 2023
Time: 11am – 2pm
Venue: Durham University – The Graham Sports Centre. Maiden Castle. Durham, DH1 3SE
Sign up: https://bwb.playwaze.com/activity/corh35n4y4/session-display?eventId=PhysicalEvents/50337-C

Hub: Central
Date: Saturday 22^nd July 2023
Time: 12pm – 3pm
Venue: Nottingham Wildcats Arena – Greenwood Road, Nottingham, NG3 7EB
Sign up: https://bwb.playwaze.com/activity/corh35n4y4/session-display?eventId=PhysicalEvents/50338-C

Hub: South
Date: Sunday 23^rd July 2023
Time: 12:30pm – 3:30pm
Venue: UEL SportsDock, University Way 4-6, London, E16 2RD
Sign up: https://bwb.playwaze.com/activity/corh35n4y4/session-display?eventId=PhysicalEvents/50339-C  

Information on the pathways for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, as well as information on the competition itself, can be found here: https://britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk/junior-championships-2023/