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National Wheelchair Basketball League
Sport wheelchair basketball
Founded1988
No. of teams 7
CountryAustralia
Most recent
champion(s)
Wollongong Rollerhawks (2022)
Most titlesPerth Wheelcats (8)
Official website [1]

The National Wheelchair Basketball League (NWBL) is Australia's premier male wheelchair basketball league. It was established in 1988. [1]

The competition seasons in 2020 and 2021 were not completed due to the COVID-19 pandemic with no team declared the winner for either season. [2] [3]. The 2023 Season was replaced with a Tournament style format which was not part of the NWBL. [4]

In 2024 Basketball Australia announced the formation of Wheelchair Basketball Australia to manage the Mens and Womens National Wheelchair Basketball Leagues in Australia, with the NWBL and WNWBL competitions to re-commence. [5]

Rules

Games are played in accordance with International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) Rules [6] with some minor variations: [7]

  • While the NWBL is a predominantly Male competition, the league also permits Female players.
  • Players are classified in accordance with IWBF procedures, except that teams can apply to Wheelchair Basketball Australia for certain players to be "Red Card Players". The following players are eligible to be Red Card Players:
    • Rookie Players (First Season in NWBL)
    • Junior Players (Under 23 Years of age as at the end of the playing year)
    • Female Players
(Junior or Rookie players who have represented their country at an international competition are not eligible for a Red Card.)
  • Each team may have up to 14 Points on the court at any one time, except that for each Red Card Player teams may have 1 additional point on the court (up to a maximum of 2 additional points). Teams may not have two 4.5 point players on the court at once (unless one is a Red Card Player).


In 2024, each team will play each other team 3 times in the Season with the top 4 teams playing in the Finals Weekend at one venue.

2024 teams

Team Location Joined Titles Website
Adelaide Thunder Adelaide, SA 1988 (Founding Team) 6 (Inaugural Champions) [2]
Darwin Salties Darwin, NT 2022 0* (2023 Wheelchair Leagues Cup Champions) [3]
Manly Wheel Eagles Northern Beaches, Sydney, NSW 2024 0 [4]
Perth Wheelcats Perth, WA 1988 (Founding Team) 8 [5]
Red Dust Heelers Country VIC 2013 0 [6]
Southern District Spartans Brisbane, QLD 2024 0 [7]
Wollongong Roller Hawks Wollongong, NSW 2001 7 [8]

Former Teams

  • Aussie Spinners
  • Dandenong Rangers
  • Kilsyth Cobras
  • Queensland Spinning Bullets
  • Sydney Comets
  • Sydney Metro Blue Hornets
  • West Sydney Slix
  • West Sydney Razorbacks

Champions

Year Team Reference
1988 Adelaide 86ers [8]
1989 Sydney Cobras [8]
1990 Adelaide Steam [8]
1991 Adelaide Steam [8]
1992 Sydney Slix [8]
1993 Adelaide Thunder [8]
1994 Adelaide Thunder [8]
1995 Adelaide Thunder [8]
1996 Sydney Comets [8]
1997 West Sydney Slix [8]
1998 West Sydney Slix [8]
1999 Sydney Comets [8]
2000 Dandenong Rangers [8]
2001 West Sydney Razorbacks [8]
2002 Perth Wheelcats [8]
2003 Wollongong Rollerhawks [8]
2004 West Sydney Razorbacks [8]
2005 West Sydney Razorbacks [8]
2006 Perth Wheelcats [8]
2007 Perth Wheelcats [8]
2008 Perth Wheelcats [8]
2009 Perth Wheelcats [8]
2010 Perth Wheelcats [8]
2011 Wollongong Rollerhawks [8]
2012 Wollongong Rollerhawks [8]
2013 Perth Wheelcats [8]
2014 Perth Wheelcats [8]
2015 Kilsyth Cobras [9]
2016 Kilsyth Cobras [8]
2017 Wollongong Rollerhawks [10]
2018 Wollongong Rollerhawks [8]
2019 Wollongong Rollerhawks [8]
2020 Season Abandoned [2]
2021 Season Abandoned [3]
2022 Wollongong Rollerhawks [8]
2023 Not Played [4]

References

  1. ^ "Wheelchair Basketball to make a shot for a World Record". BasketballSA.com.au. Archived from the original on 22 July 2017. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  2. ^ a b "Basketball Australia's Statement on the 2020 Wheelchair Basketball League Season". Basketball Australia. Retrieved 29 June 2024.
  3. ^ a b "2021 Season Announcement". WBA Official Facebook Page.
  4. ^ a b "National Wheelchair Leagues Set to Tip Off". Basketball Australia. Retrieved 29 June 2024.
  5. ^ "WBA Launches New Era of Wheelchair Basketball". Basketball Australia. Retrieved 29 June 2024.
  6. ^ "2023 IWBF Rules" (PDF).
  7. ^ "WBA Competition Rules and Regulations" (PDF).
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae "WBA Past Champions".
  9. ^ "COBRAS WIN 2015 NWBL CHAMPIONSHIP". Basketball.net.au. 24 August 2015. Archived from the original on 22 July 2017. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  10. ^ "2017 FINALS REVIEW". SportsTG.com. 21 August 2017. Archived from the original on 24 August 2017. Retrieved 24 August 2017.

External links