Korfball in Wales
| Welsh Korfball Association/Cymdeithas Pêl-Corff Cymru WKA/CPC | |
|---|---|
| Sport | Korfball |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Affiliation | International Korfball Federation |
| Affiliation date | 2007 |
| Headquarters | Cardiff |
| Official website | |
|
www | |
 | |
Korfball in Wales has been played since 1991 and is managed by the Welsh Korfball Association/Cymdeithas Pêl-Corff Cymru. The association was established in 2002 and the Welsh Korfball Squad was formed in 2005. In 2007, the International Korfball Federation admitted Wales 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 from the South West of England. Welsh clubs have a greater chance of qualifying for European competitions through the Welsh competitions. There has never been a Welsh club in the top tier of English korfball.
The Welsh Korfball Squad has been relatively successful on the international stage, appearing at their first and only World Championship in 2011 after the withdrawal of Hungary. Wales qualified for the European Championships in Portugal, 2014. The squad lost out on a place at the World Championship 2015 in a 16-12 defeat to Poland.
History
Korfball in Wales is currently confined to the Cardiff area, with newly established Aberystwyth University the only club outside of South Wales. For brief periods there have been clubs in Newbridge, Newport University, and Swansea University.
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, both the Welsh Korfball Association and Cardiff City KC were 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. In 2013 Cardiff Metropolitan University was established in partnership with Cardiff City; in 2014 the first club outside of South Wales, Aberystwyth University, was established with the assistance of the Staffordshire and Cheshire Korfball Association. Aberystwyth are playing their first season in the Staffordshire and Cheshire League with a view to joining the Welsh Korfball League in the future. Cardiff Dragons Korfball Club disbanded at the end of the 2014/15 after ten years of existence.
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.
There is limited youth korfball within Wales and it is mainly focused in three primary schools: Maendy Primary, Moorland Primary, and Tyn-Y-Wern Primary. In 2012 the WKA organised the first Annual Welsh Primary Schools' Tournament. Youth korfball is slowly gaining popularity in the Cardiff area with many secondary schools running korfball taster sessions and Youth Korflite being offered during the summer. Korfball has been included in 5x60 events across Cardiff, including the Cardiff Games. Currently there are no junior korfball clubs outside of the schools during the winter season but the non-university clubs welcome junior members.
League Competitions
During the winter season, korfball is played indoors and is formally organised by the WKA. In the summer, a friendly outdoor summer league takes place known as "Korflite", utilising half court matches between teams of four players, instead of the standard eight.
Welsh Korfball League
The Welsh Korfball League (WKL) was formed in 2007 after the EKL was disbanded. It has been the main korfball competition in Wales ever since.
By Year
| Welsh Korfball League | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Teams | Winner | Runner-up |
| 2007-08 | 8 | Cardiff City | Cardiff Dragons |
| 2008-09 | 7 | Cardiff University | Cardiff City |
| 2009-10 | 7 | Cardiff City | Cardiff City |
| 2010-11 | 7 | Cardiff University | Cardiff City |
| 2011-12 | 8 | Cardiff City | Cardiff Dragons |
| 2012-13 | 8 | Cardiff City | Cardiff Dragons |
| 2013-14 | 7 | Cardiff University | Cardiff City |
| 2014-15 | 7 | Cardiff University | Raptors |
| 2015-16 | 6 | ||
By Championship Wins
| Team | Titles | Years | Runners-up | Years runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiff City | 4 | 2007-08, 2009–10, 2011–12, 2012-13 | 4 | 2008-09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2013–14 |
| Cardiff University | 4 | 2008-09, 2010–11, 2013–14, 2014-15 | 0 | |
| Cardiff Dragons | 0 | 3 | 2007-08, 2011–12, 2012-13 | |
| Raptors | 0 | 1 | 2014-15 |
Western Regional League
The top Welsh clubs also compete in England Korfball's Western Regional League (WRL), against teams from the South and South West of England. For the 2015/16 season two Welsh teams will compete: Cardiff University & Raptors.
By Year
| Western Regional League | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Teams | Winner | Runner-up |
| 2002-03 | 4 |  University of Bristol | Bristol City |
| 2003-04 | 6 | University of Bristol | Cardiff City |
| 2004-05 | 6 | Cardiff City | Horfield |
| 2005-06 | 8 | Cardiff Dragons | Bristol City |
| 2006-07 | 8 | Cardiff Dragons | Bristol City |
| 2009-10 | 6 | Cardiff City | Oxford United |
| 2010-11 | 6 | Bristol City | Cardiff City |
| 2011-12 | 7 | Cardiff City | Bristol City |
| 2012-13 | 8 | Cardiff City | Bristol City |
| 2013-14 | 9 | Bristol Thunder | Southampton Spartans |
| 2014-15 | 9 | Bristol Thunder | Southampton Spartans |
| 2015-16 | 9 | Bristol Thunder | Southampton Spartans |
By Championship Wins
| Team | Titles | Years | Runners-up | Years runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiff City |
4 | 2004-05, 2009–10, 2011–12, 2012-13 | 2 | 2003-04, 2010–11 |
| Bristol Thunder |
3 | 2013-14, 2014–15, 2015-16 | 0 | |
| Cardiff Dragons |
2 | 2005-06, 2006–07 | 0 | |
| University of Bristol |
2 | 2002-03, 2003–04 | 0 | |
| Bristol City |
1 | 2010-11 | 5 | 2002-03, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2011–12, 2012–13 |
| Southampton Spartans |
0 | 3 | 2013-14, 2014–15, 2015-16 | |
| Oxford United |
0 | 1 | 2009-10 | |
| Horfield |
0 | 1 | 2004-05 |
Cup Competitions
Welsh Cup
The WKA has organised a cup competition in previous years. The 2014 edition determined the Welsh entry to the IKF's Europa Cup.
| Team | Gold | Years | Silver | Years | Bronze | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiff City |
2 | 2010, 2012 | 2 | 2009, 2011 | ||
| Cardiff University |
2 | 2009, 2014 | 0 | 3 | 2010, 2011, 2012 | |
| Cardiff Dragons |
1 | 2011 | 2 | 2010, 2012 | 2 | 2009, 2014 |
| Raptors |
0 | 1 | 2014 | 0 |
BUCS Competitions
Cardiff University and Aberystwyth University compete in the BUCS National Championships. Cardiff University have achieved success at the Championship winning bronze in 1997, 2015, and gold in 2001. An overhaul of the BUCS competitions introduced BUCS points for second and third tier competitions. Cardiff University's Second Team achieved a silver medal position at the BUCS Shield event, in 2015.
Cardiff Freshers' Tournament
Cardiff University Korfball Club host the annual beginners' tournament at Talybont Sports Centre. This event is aimed primarily at other universities with requirements placed on team entries stipulating that 50% of the team must be new to the sport.
Cardiff Summer Tournament
Normally held in August, this annual outdoor event has been running for around a decade with teams from England & Wales participating. In the past there have been entries from The Netherlands and Scotland.
Welsh Clubs
Welsh korfball clubs are:
- Cardiff University Korfball Club (Est. 1991)
- Cardiff City (Est. 2002)
- Raptors (Est. 2012)
- Aberystwyth University (Est. 2014)
Wales national team
The Welsh Korfball Squad (WKS) was formed in 2005 and competed at their first IKF competition in 2007. In 2011, Wales competed at the IKF World Championship. In 2014, the first ever Wales u21 squad competed against England u21s.
See also
- Korfball World Championship
- European Korfball Championship
- Korfball European Bowl
- Wales national korfball team