The Rwanda Basketball League (RBL) (formerly the National Basketball League Rwanda) is the top professional basketball league in
Rwanda
Rwanda, officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of East Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator, Rwanda is bordered by ...
. Its season usually runs from November to September. The winners of the NBL season qualify for the qualifiers for the
Basketball Africa League
The Basketball Africa League (BAL) is the premier men's basketball league in Africa. Founded in 2019, the league was established and is co-organized by NBA Africa and the FIBA, International Basketball Federation (FIBA).
Each season typically r ...
(BAL).
The league currently consists of 10 teams, most of them being from the country's capital
Kigali
Kigali () is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Rwanda. It is near the nation's geographic centre in a region of rolling hills, with a series of valleys and ridges joined by steep slopes. As a primate city, Kigali is a relativ ...
. The current champion of the RBL are APR, who are the league’s most decorated team with a record 15 championships. Other notable teams are REG and their rivals
Patriots
A patriot is a person with the quality of patriotism.
Patriot(s) or The Patriot(s) may also refer to:
Political and military groups United States
* Patriot (American Revolution), those who supported the cause of independence in the American R ...
, who have been powerhouses in recent years.
Since the 2021–22 season, the FERWABA also organises the RBL Division 2 to which the bottom two teams of the RBL relegate.
History
Basketball was introduced in Rwanda in 1930 by Catholic priests, who first taught the sport at high schools in the Southern Province. The following decades, the presence of the sport increased as the military and some public institutions created basketball teams. In 1974, the national basketball federation
FERWABA
The Rwandan Basketball Federation () is the governing body of basketball in Rwanda. It operates the Rwanda national basketball team as well as the National Basketball League (Rwanda), top-tier NBL and other amateur leagues.
History
In 1930, basket ...
was established. Three years later, in 1977, the first national league was created.
The 1994
Rwandan genocide
The Rwandan genocide, also known as the genocide against the Tutsi, occurred from 7 April to 19 July 1994 during the Rwandan Civil War. Over a span of around 100 days, members of the Tutsi ethnic group, as well as some moderate Hutu and Gre ...
threw the sport back, because Tutsi players, spectators and administrators died and crucial infrastructure was destroyed.
In the 2000s, APR was the dominant team in Rwanda and it participated in the
FIBA Africa Clubs Champions Cup
The FIBA Africa Basketball League (formerly named the FIBA Africa Clubs Champions Cup) was the highest caliber men's professional basketball competition for clubs until 2020, organized by the FIBA Africa and played by the champions of the league ...
thrice. Its best result was a bronze medal in 2009.
From 2011 to 2015,
Espoir BBC
Espoir BBC is a Rwandan professional basketball club based in Kigali. The club competes in Rwanda's National Basketball League.
Traditionally, the club has provided several of Africa's national teams with key players.REG (owned by the
Rwanda Energy Group
Rwanda Energy Group Limited (REG), is a government-owned holding company responsible for the import, export, procurement, generation, transmission, distribution and sale of electricity in Rwanda. It performs its functions through two wholly owned ...
) and
Patriots
A patriot is a person with the quality of patriotism.
Patriot(s) or The Patriot(s) may also refer to:
Political and military groups United States
* Patriot (American Revolution), those who supported the cause of independence in the American R ...
entered the league. The two teams became rivals and played each other in the finals for several years.
In the 2020s, the
Basketball Africa League
The Basketball Africa League (BAL) is the premier men's basketball league in Africa. Founded in 2019, the league was established and is co-organized by NBA Africa and the FIBA, International Basketball Federation (FIBA).
Each season typically r ...
(BAL) was introduced – the first editions were hosted by the BK Arena in Kigali. Patriots finished in fourth place in the inaugural 2021 season. The league changed its name to the Rwanda Basketball League (RBL) in 2023. FERWABA introduced two new competitions, the Rwanda Cup and the Rwanda Super Cup, for the 2024 season.
Venues
The league games in the regular season are usually stated in the
Lycée de Kigali
Lycée de Kigali (LDK) is a secondary school in Kiyovu Cell, Nyarugenge Sector, Nyarugenge District, Kigali, Rwanda. It has A Level and O Level
O, or o, is the fifteenth letter and the fourth vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in ...
's indoor hall, which can seat 1,500 spectators, after it was revamped by
FERWABA
The Rwandan Basketball Federation () is the governing body of basketball in Rwanda. It operates the Rwanda national basketball team as well as the National Basketball League (Rwanda), top-tier NBL and other amateur leagues.
History
In 1930, basket ...
and NBA Africa in 2023. Other games are played at
Kepler University
Johannes Kepler (27 December 1571 – 15 November 1630) was a German astronomer, mathematician, astrologer, natural philosopher and writer on music. He is a key figure in the 17th-century Scientific Revolution, best known for his laws of p ...
's indoor hall. Playoffs games are usually held at the 10,000-seater
BK Arena
BK Arena (formerly known as Kigali Arena) is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Kigali, Rwanda, used mostly for basketball and volleyball matches. Built and finished in 2019, it hosts sporting events and concerts. It is the biggest indoor arena in Ea ...
(formerly the Kigali Arena), which was opened in 2019. Another hall that is used is the
Petit Arena
Petit is a French-language surname literally meaning "small" or "little". Notable people with the surname include:
*Adriana Petit (born 1984), Spanish multidisciplinary artist
*Alexis Thérèse Petit (1791–1820), French physicist
*Amandine Peti ...
, which was recently renovated to hold 1,500 people.
Current teams
2025 teams
The following teams will play in the
2025 BAL season
The 2025 BAL season, also known as BAL Season 5, will be the 5th season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL). The season will begin on 5 April and end on 14 June 2025 with the final. The playoffs and finals will be held in Pretoria, South Africa, ...
:
Sources:
Former teams
Champions
The following is a list of all documented Rwandan top-flight league champions:
* 1995: APR
* 1996: APR
* 1997: APR
* 1998: APR
* 1999: APR
* 2000: APR
* 2001: APR
* 2002: APR
* 2003: APR
* 2004: Espoir
* 2005: APR
* 2006: APR
* 2007:
Marines
Marines (or naval infantry) are military personnel generally trained to operate on both land and sea, with a particular focus on amphibious warfare. Historically, the main tasks undertaken by marines have included Raid (military), raiding ashor ...
* 2008: APR
* 2009: APR
* 2010:
Kigali Basketball Club
Kigali () is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Rwanda. It is near the nation's geographic centre in a region of rolling hills, with a series of valleys and ridges joined by steep slopes. As a primate city, Kigali is a relativ ...
* 2011:
Kigali Basketball Club
Kigali () is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Rwanda. It is near the nation's geographic centre in a region of rolling hills, with a series of valleys and ridges joined by steep slopes. As a primate city, Kigali is a relativ ...
Patriots
A patriot is a person with the quality of patriotism.
Patriot(s) or The Patriot(s) may also refer to:
Political and military groups United States
* Patriot (American Revolution), those who supported the cause of independence in the American R ...
The following is a list of the league's final playoff series, or if not applicable the season's final standings.
Performance by club
Individual awards
Most Valuable Player
After each RBL season, one player is named the
Most valuable player
In team sports, a most valuable player (MVP) award is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particular competition, or ...
of the competition.
Olivier Shyaka
Olivier Shyaka (born 14 August 1995) is a Rwandan basketball player who plays for REG BBC club of the NBL Rwanda. He also plays for the Rwanda national basketball team. Shyaka is a two-time Rwandan League MVP, having won the award in 2015 and 202 ...
is the only player to have won at least two MVP awards. Since the 2023 season, the RBL has an award for the best player in the regular season, as well as a separate one for the best player in the playoffs.
Playoffs MVP
Since 2023, the league also gives an award to the best performing player of the playoffs.
Defensive Player of the Year
Most Improved Player
Team of the Year
Players in bold were named the season's Most Valuable Player.
In African competitions
Each year, the champions of the NBL were placed for the qualifiers of the
FIBA Africa Basketball League
The FIBA Africa Basketball League (formerly named the FIBA Africa Clubs Champions Cup) was the highest caliber men's professional basketball competition for clubs until 2020, organized by the FIBA Africa and played by the champions of the league ...
, the premiere pan-African competition. Since 2020, this league is replaced by the
Basketball Africa League
The Basketball Africa League (BAL) is the premier men's basketball league in Africa. Founded in 2019, the league was established and is co-organized by NBA Africa and the FIBA, International Basketball Federation (FIBA).
Each season typically r ...
(BAL). The following list shows Rwandan teams which played in a main tournament:
In the Basketball Africa League
Since the 2023 season, the champions of the RBL qualify directly to the BAL, as the competition has determined them as designated market.
See also
*
Rwanda Basketball League Division 2
The Rwanda Basketball League Division 2 is the second-highest men's basketball competition in Rwanda, after the Rwanda Basketball League (RBL). On 1 December 2021, the FERWABA
The Rwandan Basketball Federation () is the governing body of basketba ...
*
Rwanda Basketball Cup
The Rwanda Basketball Cup is a basketball cup competition for men's teams in Rwanda. The competition is made up of teams from the Rwanda Basketball League as well as the Rwanda Basketball League Division 2. The tournament was introduced in 2024 ...
*
Heroes' Cup (Rwanda)
The Heroes' Cup, also known as the Heroes' Day Tournament, is an annual basketball cup competition for the premier teams in Rwanda. The Heroes Cup tournaments are organised by their respective federations in partnership with the Chancellery for ...
*
FERWABA
The Rwandan Basketball Federation () is the governing body of basketball in Rwanda. It operates the Rwanda national basketball team as well as the National Basketball League (Rwanda), top-tier NBL and other amateur leagues.
History
In 1930, basket ...