Sport Korfball Founded 2002 (2002) Headquarters Cardiff | Abbreviation WKA/CPC Affiliation date 2007 | |
Affiliation International Korfball Federation | ||
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.
Contents
- History
- League Competitions
- Welsh Korfball League
- Western Regional League
- Europa Cup
- Welsh Championship
- BUCS Competitions
- Cardiff Freshers Tournament
- Cardiff Summer Tournament
- Welsh Clubs
- Wales national team
- References
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 compete in the IKF Europa Cup, Welsh Cup, and BUCS Competitions. There are currently 4 clubs and 9 teams within Wales.
The Welsh Korfball Squad has been relatively successful on the international stage, appearing at their first and only World Championship in 2011 following the withdrawal of Hungary. Wales recently qualified for the European Championships in The Netherlands, 2018, and hosted its first ever official IKF event; Round 1 of the Europa Cup 2017 was held in Cardiff in September 2016.
History
Korfball in Wales is currently confined to the Cardiff area, with newly established Aberystwyth University the only club outside of South Wales.
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. Cardiff City has gone on to be Wales' most successful club winning five Welsh league titles. In 2005, Cardiff Dragons was formed as a sister club of Cardiff City and started strongly winning divisions 1 and 2 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 and in 2014 the first club outside of South Wales, Aberystwyth University, was established. Cardiff Dragons Korfball Club disbanded at the end of the 2014/15 season 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 primary schools. In 2012 the WKA organised the first Welsh Primary Schools Tournament. Korfball has been included in 5x60 events across Cardiff, including the Cardiff Games. Currently there are no junior korfball clubs outside of the schools but the non-university clubs welcome junior members and the WKA is working to develop a youth strategy.
League Competitions
During the winter season, korfball is played indoors and is formally organised by the WKA. In the summer, a social 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 National Korfball League (WNKL) was formed in 2007 after the EKL was disbanded. It has been the regular competition in Wales ever since.
Western Regional League
Some Welsh clubs also compete in England Korfball's Western Regional League (WRL), against teams from the South and South West of England. For the 2016-17 season only Cardiff Raptors have a team in this league.
Europa Cup
Wales' national champion is entitled to participate in the Europa Cup against other national champions from around Europe. No Welsh team has ever progressed past the first round of the competition.
Cardiff City competed in the first round of the 2009, 2013, and 2014 editions; Raptors participated in the 2017 First Round which was also the first official IKF event ever hosted in Wales.
Welsh Championship
The Welsh Championship takes the four highest-ranked Welsh clubs, across all league competitions, to determine the national champion and entrant to the IKF Europa Cup.
BUCS Competitions
Cardiff University, Cardiff Metropolitan University, and Aberystwyth University compete in the BUCS National Championships. Cardiff University has 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:
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.