Balkan Super League
| Current season or competition: File:Rugby football current event.svg 2024 Balkan Super League season | |
| Sport | Rugby league |
|---|---|
| Inaugural season | 2017 |
| Number of teams | 5 |
| Country | Bulgaria Bulgaria (1 teams) Montenegro Montenegro (1 team) Serbia Serbia (3 teams) |
| Champions | Serbia Partizan Belgrade RLFC (2024) |
| Most titles | Serbia 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.
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
| Team | Country | Domestic League |
|---|---|---|
| Greece AEK Athens | Greece | Greek Rugby League Association |
| Montenegro Arsenal Tivat | Montenegro | Montenegro Rugby League |
| Bulgaria Lokomotiv Sofia RLFC | Bulgaria | Bulgarian Rugby League |
| Serbia Partizan Belgrade RLFC | Serbia | Serbian Rugby League Championship |
| Serbia Radnicki Nis | Serbia | Serbian Rugby League Championship |
| Serbia Red Star Belgrade RLFC | Serbia | Serbian Rugby League Championship |
Division 2
| Team | Country | Domestic League |
|---|---|---|
| Division 2 North | ||
| Turkey Bilgi Badgers RLFC | Turkey | Turkish Rugby League Association |
| Turkey Boshporus Wolves RLFC | Turkey | Turkish Rugby League Association |
| Bulgaria Valiacite Pernik | Bulgaria | Bulgarian Rugby League |
| Serbia Zemun Belgrade | Serbia | Serbian Rugby League Championship |
| Division 2 South | ||
| Albania Tirana RLFC | Albania | Albanian Rugby League |
| Serbia Morava Cheetahs Lescovka | Serbia | Serbian Rugby League Championship |
| Montenegro Mornar Bar | Montenegro | Montenegro Rugby League |
Former clubs
- Bosnia and Herzegovina Borac Banja Luka RLFC
- Bosnia and Herzegovina Warriors Drvar RLFC
- Bosnia and Herzegovina FIS Vitez Knights RLFC
- Bulgaria Valacite Pernik RLFC
- Greece Aris Eagles RLFC
- Greece Patras RLFC
- Greece Rhodes Knights RLFC
- Italy Lignano Sharks RLFC
- Montenegro South Region RLFC
- Serbia Belgrade Youth RLFC
- Serbia Dorcol Belgrade RLFC
- Serbia Radnicki New Belgrade RLFC
- Serbia Red Kangaroo Belgrade RLFC
- Serbia Tzar Dusan Mighty RLFC
- Turkey Ankara Phrygians RLFC
- Turkey Bilgi Badgers RLFC
- Turkey Boshporus Wolves RLFC
- Turkey Kladikoy Bulls RLFC
Source: [5]
Champions
| Season | Winner | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Partizan Belgrade | Serbia Serbia |
| 2018 | Red Star Belgrade | Serbia Serbia |
| 2019 | Red Star Belgrade | Serbia Serbia |
| 2020 | Partizan Belgrade | Serbia Serbia |
| 2021 | Red Star Belgrade | Serbia Serbia |
| 2022 | Red Star Belgrade | Serbia Serbia |
| 2023 | Red Star Belgrade | Serbia Serbia |
| 2024 | Partizan Belgrade | Serbia Serbia |
References
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ "Clubs". Balkanrl.com. 21 March 2019. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
- ↑ BalkanRL (25 February 2023). "The seventh season of the Balkan Super begins". Balkanrl.com. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
- ↑ "Clubs". Balkanrl.com. 21 March 2019. Retrieved 24 November 2022.