UL Eagles
| UL Eagles | |
|---|---|
| League | Super League |
| History |
Burger King Limerick 1999–2004 Limerick Lions 2004–2009 UL Eagles 2009–present |
| Arena | PESS Building, UL |
| Location | Limerick, Ireland |
| Team colors | Yellow & blue |
| Main sponsor | Radisson Blu |
| Head coach | Thomas Walsh |
| Championships | 2 (2012, 2013) |
UL Eagles, also known as Radisson Blu UL Eagles for sponsorship reasons, is an Irish basketball team based in Limerick. The team competes in the Super League and plays its home games at the University of Limerick's PESS Building. The team is directly associated with the University of Limerick.
History
Early years
Prior to the late 1990s, Limerick's presence in the Irish National League was represented by Marathon Basketball Club.[1] In 1999, Marathon's National League team became known as Burger King Limerick.[2]
In 2002, Burger King Limerick celebrated their first-ever Irish Cup title after defeating Star of the Sea in the final.[3][4] That year, American import Cleotis Brown earned Basketball Ireland Foreign Player of the Year honours.[5]
In 2004, Marathon Basketball Club was renamed Limerick Lions Basketball Club, and thus, Burger King Limerick became Limerick Lions.[6]
UL Eagles
In 2009, Limerick Lions Basketball Club parted ways with the National League team. As a result, the University of Limerick absorbed the team and rebranded it as UL Eagles.[7]
In February 2012, UL Eagles won their first National Cup title since 2002 after defeating UCC Demons in the final.[8][9] Eagles went on to win a historic National League title in March 2012,[10] and backed that up in 2013 by defending their title.[11] In February 2015, long-time servant of the team, Welshman Matt Hall, announced his retirement after 15 years of playing in Limerick.[12]
Achievements
- 2× Irish National League champions: 2012, 2013[13]
- 2× Irish National Cup champions: 2002, 2012
Current roster
Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationality not displayed.
| UL Eagles roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Roster | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
References
- ↑ Postgame Interview - Marathon Basketball Club - Ireland 1996
- ↑ The New Improved Marathon Basketball Site
- ↑ Limerick win Senior Mens' Basketball Cup
- ↑ ESB Irish Cup 2002: Limerick twist past Star
- ↑ Limerick Lions TV - History: National Cup Champions 2002
- ↑ Tigers tops but Lions are on a roll
- ↑ THE UL EAGLES GET SET TO SOAR!
- ↑ Double success for Limerick basketball
- ↑ UL Basketball Teams are victorious at Superleague National Cup
- ↑ Double double for UL Basketball
- ↑ UL Eagles lifted the Nivea For Men's SuperLeague trophy for a second straight season
- ↑ UL Eagle Matt Hall announces his retirement
- ↑ Roll of Honour 1973 - 2014