| Conference Basketball League (CBL) | |
| Sport: | Basketball |
| Inaugural: | 1981 |
| Folded: | 2010 |
| Levels: | 2 |
| Continent: | FIBA Oceania (Oceania) |
| Related Comps: | New Zealand NBL |
| Website: | basketball.org.nz/cbl |
The Conference Basketball League (CBL) was a second-tiered men's semi-professional basketball league in New Zealand. During the 1980s and 1990s, the CBL served as a means of promotion and relegation between the National Basketball League (NBL). By the 2000s, it served as a means for associations to enter representative teams into a national division two competition. The CBL also served as a feeder league for development or academy squads of NBL teams.
The Conference Basketball League (CBL) ran every year between 1981 and 2008,[1] and consisted of multiple conferences throughout its lifetime, including northern, capital, central, and southern.[2] From seven teams in 1996, the CBL grew to 25 teams spread over four conferences in 1999.[3] [4] The challenges facing the league by the late 2000s were similar to the national women's league, namely finding a format that teams could economically support.[5] Basketball New Zealand chose not to host the CBL in 2009,[6] before bringing it back in a one-off, five-day tournament in 2010.[7]
| Conference Basketball League Finals Results | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | Year | Result |
| 1981 | 1. Otago 2. New Plymouth | 1996 | 1. Waitakere Rangers 2. Pony Hibiscus Flash |
| 1982 | Northern 1. Exchequer Saints (Wgtn) 2. Burroughs Karori (Wgtn) Invitation 1. Napier Sunhawks 2. Burroughs Karori (Wgtn) | 1997 | 1. North Otago Penguins 2. TransAlta Wellington |
| 1983 | Northern 1. Hamilton 2. New Plymouth Southern 1. Burroughs Karori (Wgtn) 2. Otago | 1998 | 1. Smokefree Southland Sharks 2. North Otago Penguins |
| 1984 | 1. Hertz New Plymouth 2. Palmerston North | 1999 | 1. North Otago Penguins 2. Masonic Hawks |
| 1985 | Northern 1. Truth North Shore 2. Waitemata Southern 1. 4ZB Otago 2. Wanganui Wolfpack | 2000 | 1. North Otago Penguins 2. Kaikoura Whale Riders |
| 1986 | Northern 1. Rotorua 2. Cable Price Whangarei Southern 1. Rheineck Wanganui 2. Speights Otago | 2001 | 1. Kaikoura Whale Riders 2. Wellington College Saints |
| 1987 | 1. Waitemata 2. Abbey Mazda Northland | 2002 | 1. Treehouse Taranaki Stormers 2. Kaikoura Whale Riders |
| 1988 | 1. U-Bix Palmerston North 2. Wainuiomata | 2003 | 1. Canterbury Knights 2. Hutt Valley |
| 1989 | 1. Hutt Valley Lakers 2. Ultimate Fitness Porirua | 2004 | 1. Counties Manukau Spartans 2. BJ's Hutt Valley |
| 1990 | 1. Governor's Wairarapa 2. Nelson Suns | 2005 | 1. Waikato Red 2. Hutt Valley |
| 1991 | 1. Mobil Marters Northland 2. DB Hawera Hornets | 2006 | 1. Waikato Titans 2. Waitakere Rangers |
| 1992 | 1. DB Royals New Plymouth 2. Mobil Marters Northland | 2007 | 1. Waikato Titans 2. Porirua |
| 1993 | 1. 96 FM Rotorua Runnin' Rebels 2. Checkers Canterbury | 2008 | 1. Wellington Saints 2. Waikato Titans |
| 1994 | 1. Mobil Marters Northland 2. Quality Hotel Rotorua Runnin' Rebels | 2009 | No League |
| 1995 | 1. Smokefree Southland Sharks 2. Quality Hotel Rotorua Runnin' Rebels | 2010 | 1. Hutt Valley 2. Porirua |
In 2009, North Harbour Basketball Association took on the responsibility of hosting the Conference Basketball League in the Auckland Region. The competition was predominantly run on the North Shore and was a zone 1 competition. The league was rebranded as the Supercity Basketball Competition in 2010,[8] [9] and then as the Senior Intercity Competition in 2011 and 2012,[10] [11] although it was still colloquially known during this time as the Conference Basketball League.[12] [13]
| Year | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 1. Harbour Heat Reserves 2. AUT | [14] [15] |
| 2010 | 1. Breakers Academy 2. Waitakere | |
| 2011 | 1. Waitakere West 2. Harbour Heat Reserves | [16] |
| 2012 | 1. Waitakere West 2. Northland Suns | |