There will be five Basketball Ireland National League teams in Galway next season, as Basketball Ireland today announced the full list of competing clubs in their four division National League.
Maree and Moycullen will continue to compete in the Men's Super League, with NUIG Mystics in the Women's Super League. Gamefootage.net Titans will compete in the Men's Division One while Maree have also entered a Women's Division One team for the upcoming season.
The news comes as Basketball Ireland has confirmed that the Men’s and Women’s National Leagues will expand from 42 teams to 49 teams for the upcoming 2018/19 season.
Elsewhere, new additions to the Men’s Super League sees the promotion of Keane's SuperValu Killorglin and Neptune to the top flight. This comes at the cost of Dublin sides Éanna and KUBS, who will play their basketball in the Men’s Division One next year.
In the Women’s Super League meanwhile, Marble City Hawks have also been promoted to the Super League to make a 10-team league, while Portlaoise Panthers have been regraded to the Women’s Division One.
Meanwhile, the two Division One leagues have experienced big growth this year. The Men’s Division One league will expand from 14 teams last season to 17 teams this year. This growth will see the division split into two conferences – north and south – and will include three men’s teams in Limerick, as well as Tolka Rovers and WIT Vikings.
The Women’s Division One is also experiencing growth, moving from seven teams last year, to a 10-team league this year, including new teams Phoenix Rockets (Ulster), Maree and St Mary’s Castleisland, as well as a second Limerick team – Limerick Celtics. The Women's Division One will also be played in a conference format.
Speaking about the growth across the men’s and women’s games, Secretary General of Basketball Ireland, Bernard O’Byrne stated: “The numerical growth of our National League is very encouraging, as indeed is the geographical spread. However, we also need to be firmly focused on improving and maintaining playing standards, presentation of the games and the need to make all our games family social events. We are heading in the right direction but there is still a lot more to be done.”
Fixtures for the divisions will be announced next month.
Basketball Ireland Men’s Super League teams 2018/19
- Belfast Star
- DCU Saints
- Garvey’s Tralee Warriors
- Griffith College Swords Thunder
- Keane’s SuperValu Killorglin
- Maree
- Moycullen
- Neptune
- Pyrobel Killester
- Templeogue BC
- UCC Demons
- UCD Marian
Basketball Ireland Women’s Super League teams 2018/19
- Ambassador UCC Glanmire
- Courtyard Liffey Celtics
- DCU Mercy
- Fr Mathews
- IT Carlow Basketball
- Marble City Hawks
- Maxol WIT Wildcats
- NUIG Mystics
- Pyrobel Killester
- Singleton SuperValu Brunell
Basketball Ireland Men’s Division One teams 2018/19
Northern Conference
- Abby Seals Dublin Lions
- Eanna
- EJ Sligo All Stars
- Tolka Rovers
- KUBS
- LYIT Donegal
- Gamefootage.net Titans
- Ulster University Elks
Southern Conference
- Ballincollig
- Fr Mathews
- IT Carlow Basketball
- Limerick Celtics
- LIT
- Portlaoise Panthers
- Scotts Lakers St Paul’s Killarney
- UL Eagles
- WIT Vikings
Women’s Division One teams 2018/19
Northern Conference
- Fabplus North West
- Trinity Meteors
- Phoenix Rockets
- Ulster University Elks
- Griffith College Swords Thunder
Southern Conference
- Limerick Celtics
- Maree
- Portlaoise Panthers
- St Mary’s Castleisland
- UL Huskies
