Following on from the hugely successful CBL Summer Season and Final Four, which provided a much-needed ‘bounce back’ to basketball for players, teams and parents all across the city – the CBL are excited to announce registrations are now live for the the full 2021-2022 season.
The new season will look to build on the unprecedented positive momentum and feedback received over the summer by growing the league to provide more access, new opportunities and higher levels of quality playing experiences for both competitive and development level teams. A new female-only brand, a return to Division 1 and Division 2 competitions, a ‘CBL Draft’, plus a major increase in the number of games for competitive teams are all part of the ground-breaking ‘new for ’22’ CBL season plans.
The launch of the all new WCBL division aims to provide a high-profile, positive playing and competitive experience for young women aged 16-20, while the GCBL will be the new girls-only brand serving the U16 and U14 female divisions. A newly dedicated social media and video channel that will elevate and promote grassroots girls basketball exclusively through the WCBL in ways the game has not experienced before, has already been launched as we get ready for the new season, here: @wcblhoopsofficial
“I am excited about the potential of this new league. For so long, women and girls have had to take a back seat and get in where they fit in, but with the WCBL and GCBL that ends now. We are happy to be able to provide a platform which allows girls to develop, and a pathway for them to compete and get the recognition that they deserve.”
– Steve Whyte (Co-Comissioner)
In response to the rapid rise in talent seen across the league, all divisions will be split into Division 1 and Division 2 competitions for the ’21/’22 season.
Teams competing at the top end of the CBL will now benefit from an increased game schedule, with an 18 game guarantee, in addition to the opportunity to play more games in the playoffs and cup competitions as part of the new season Division 1 offer. Teams who advance to the late stages of all competitions will play 20+ games in a single CBL season, a groundbreaking move that provides competitive players and coaches new options to take advantage of the cost-saving value of playing in the CBL alongside the unprecedented media coverage without having to compromise on the number of games played.
All Division 1 games are to be fully stat-tracked so every single player in the Division will have their own player profile with verified season stats to track performance, monitor progression and provide a well-organised presentation of every players achievements to coaches, family and friends.
Division 1 will also feature live streamed ‘Game Of The Week’ full broadcast with in-game commentary so we can celebrate and share the fantastic emerging talent across the league with the rest of the world in a well-organised, entertaining media package.
For teams at an earlier stage of development, the CBL new season will continue to honour the developmental foundations on which the league was built, by welcoming new and developing teams into the Division 2 category. Division 2 will be run in the same manner and format as previous years with a 8-11 game season, with a focus on development and providing new players to the sport a positive introduction to organised competitions.
The new season will also introduce a new promotion and relegation format between the two divisions that will reward the he regular season winner and playoff winner from Division 2, by inviting them into a post-season 4 team ‘play in’ tournament with the bottom 2 teams from Division 1. Each team will play each other in a round-robin tournament with the top 2 placed teams securing the Division 1 place for the following season, with the bottom 2 teams being assigned places in Division 2.
“The league is really pushing ahead at an exciting pace now, with so many great new additions lined up for the season ahead. We’ve really evolved into a league that provides quality opportunities for players across the city at all levels now. We will always stay true to our roots, in being the positive entry point into organised competitions for new players through our Division 2 competitions, but we now get to cater to the players who have been with us and really grown up in the CBL and have developed through to an elite, or close to elite, age-group standard, with a Division 1 competitive platform that is designed to open up new doors for them at the next level. We’re so proud of the players and coaches for putting in the hard work to get to this point and feel honoured and humbled to be able to play a pivotal role in opening doors and providing a platform for the next generation to perform and progress. We can’t wait to started!”
– Nhamo Shire (League Founder & Co-Commissioner)
For teams interested in playing in the WCBL or GCBL, please use this link: WCBL TEAM REGISTRATION 2021-2022 SEASON
For teams interested in playing in either Division 1 or Division 2 in the upcoming new CBL season, please fill in the registration form found here: CBL TEAM REGISTRATION 2021/2022 SEASON
