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