Korfball in Wales
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Korfball in Wales has been played since 1991 and is managed by the Welsh Korfball Association/Cymdeithas Bêl-Korf Cymru (WKA). The association was formed in 2002 and the Wales National Korfball Team was established in 2005. In 2007, the International Korfball Federation admitted the WKA as a full member.
The association organised the inaugural Welsh Korfball League in 2007 but top clubs in Wales have traditionally also played in the English leagues against clubs of a similar level. Welsh clubs have a greater chance of qualifying for European competitions through the Welsh competitions.
The Wales national team has been relatively successful on the international stage, appearing at their first and only World Championship in 2011.
History
Korfball was invented by Dutch school teacher Nico Broekhuysen in 1902. The Netherlands is the birthplace of the sport and boasts near 580 clubs and over 100,000 players. The sport is increasingly popular in Belgium and Taiwan and is now played in over 60 countries. The British Korfball Association is the third oldest in the world, established in 1946, behind the Netherlands and Belgium.
The first club in Wales was established in 1991 at Cardiff University by a group of Dutch students. Cardiff University is now one of the most established university clubs in the UK and won BUSA Gold at the BSKA National Championships in Cardiff, 2001. The following year, the Welsh Korfball Association was formed and, in 2003, Cardiff City was established by ex-Cardiff University students becoming the first non-university club in Wales. Cardiff City has gone on to be Wales' most successful club winning one Excalibur league title, four Welsh league titles, and three Western Regional league titles. The club has also competed at the IKF Europa Cup First Round in 2008, 2012, and 2013. In 2005, Cardiff Dragons was formed as a sister club of Cardiff City and started strongly winning divisions 1 and 2 of the EKL in their first two seasons. It took a few years until further clubs arrived but in 2012 Cardiff Raptors was created by students leaving Cardiff University. A year later the second university club was established at Cardiff Metropolitan University, previously University of Wales Institute Cardiff (UWIC).
From 2002 to 2007 the Welsh clubs competed in the Excalibur Korfball League (EKL) with teams from the South West of England. When this was disbanded, at the request of the South West Korfball Association, the Welsh Korfball League came into existence and was administered by the WKA. In 2009, the England Korfball Association (EKA) created a Regional League to promote high level competition between the areas of Wales, South West England, and the South of England.
Competitions
The Welsh Korfball League (WKL) was formed in 2007 after the Excalibur league was disbanded. It has been the main korfball competition in Wales ever since.
Title Winners:
- 4 Cardiff City: (2007-08, 2009-10, 2011-12, and 2012-13)
- 2 Cardiff University: (2008-09, and 2010-11)
The top Welsh clubs also compete in the England Korfball Western Regional League, formed in 2009, against teams from the South and South West of England. Previously the WKL acted as a second tier to this competition but they have recently been defined as two separate competitions.
Title Winners:
- 3 Cardiff City: (2009-10, 2011-12, and 2012-13)
The Excalibur Korfball League was the main competition for clubs in South Wales and the South West of England prior to 2007. The competition composed of two divisions with a club's first team in division 1 and their second team in division 2.
Division 1 Title Winners
- 2 Cardiff Dragons: (2005-06, and 2006-07)
- 1 Cardiff City: (2004-05)
Division 2 Title Winners
- 2 Cardiff Dragons: (2005-06, and 2006-07)
- 1 Cardiff City: (2004-05)
Welsh Clubs
The Welsh Korfball League competition is composed of one division with the top clubs also participating in the England Korfball Western Regional League.
Welsh korfball clubs are:
- Cardiff University (Est. 1991)
- Cardiff City (Est. 2003)
- Cardiff Dragons (Est. 2005)
- Cardiff Raptors (Est. 2012)
- Cardiff Metropolitan University (Est. 2013)
National team
Wales - Korfball national team | |||
Year | Championship | Host | Classification |
---|---|---|---|
2005 | Home Nations Championship | England | 3rd place |
2006 | Four Nations Tournament | Luxembourg | 2nd place |
2006 | 1st Korfball Commonwealth Championship | London, England | 3rd place |
2007 | 2nd European Bowl | Luxembourg | Champions (West) |
2009 | 3rd European Bowl | Luxembourg | Champions (West) |
2010 | 4th European Championships | Netherlands | 11th place |
2011 | 9th World Championship | Shaoxing, China | 15th place |
2013 | 4th European Bowl | Papendrecht, Netherlands | 2nd place (East) |