Balkan Super League

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.

Balkan Super League
Current season or competition:
2022 Balkan Super League season
SportRugby league
Inaugural season2017 (2017)
Number of teams5
CountryBulgaria Bulgaria (1 teams)
Montenegro Montenegro (1 team)
Serbia Serbia (3 teams)
ChampionsSerbia Red Star Rugby League Club (2022)
Most titlesSerbia Red Star Rugby League Club
(3 titles)
WebsiteBSL website
Broadcast partnerSportuzivo

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

Source: [3][4]

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
Balkan Super League winners
SeasonWinnerCountry
2017Partizan BelgradeSerbia Serbia
2018Red Star BelgradeSerbia Serbia
2019Red Star BelgradeSerbia Serbia
2020Partizan BelgradeSerbia Serbia
2021Red Star BelgradeSerbia Serbia
2022 Red Star Belgrade Serbia Serbia

References
  1. "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.
  2. "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.
  3. "Clubs". Balkanrl.com. 21 March 2019. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  4. BalkanRL (25 February 2023). "The seventh season of the Balkan Super begins". Balkanrl.com. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  5. "Clubs". Balkanrl.com. 21 March 2019. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
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