Kvindeligaen (handball)

Kvindeligaen
Founded1936
No. of teams14
CountryDenmark
ConfederationEHF
Most recent
champion(s)
Team Esbjerg
(5th title)
(2023-24)
Most titlesViborg HK
(14 titles)
TV partner(s)TV 2, TV 2 Sport
Relegation to1. Division
International cup(s)EHF Champions League
EHF European League
Official website[1]
Current sports event 2024-25

The Kvindeligaen (English: women's league) is the top professional league for Danish women's handball clubs. It is administered by the Danish Handball Federation, and the winners are recognized as Danish champions. The league was previously called Bambusa Kvindeligaen for sponsorship reasons. It has previously been known as HTH GO Ligaen, Primo Tours Ligaen, Boxer Dameligaen, TOMS Ligaen and GuldBageren Ligaen. The current title holder is Team Esbjerg (2023). The European Handball Federation (EHF) ranks the Danish league 4th in the coefficients of leagues based on performances in European competitions over the past seasons.

Competition format

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The Kvindeligaen shares the season style with the men's league. It consists of 14 teams, each playing 26 regular season games. The eight best teams of the regular season advance to further games, where they are divided into two groups of four teams each. No. 1 and 2 from the regular season start with 2 points. No. 3 and 4 start with 1 point, while no. 5-8 start with no points. After these six games the two top teams in each group will play semifinals. No. 1 from one group is up against no. 2 from the other. The winners will meet in finals, while the losers will play against each other for the bronze medal. Semifinals, finals, and bronze games are all played in best of 3.

The lowest placed team of the regular season is directly relegated to the second-best division, and replaced by the winner of this. The teams finishing as 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 are put in a group where they will play against each other. In the second-best division, the teams that end up 2nd and 3rd will play against each other in best of 3. The winner of those games will get to meet the lowest placed team from the 9-13 group from the top league, yet again in best of 3. The winner will get to play in the top league next season, while the loser plays in the second-best division.

Seasons

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Current teams (2024/25)

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The fourteen teams of the 2023/24 season are:

Team Finishing pos.
in last season 2023/24
First season of
current spell in
top division
Top division
titles
Aarhus Håndbold 11th 2017-18 0
EH Aalborg 1st in (1st division) 2024-25 0
HH Elite 12th 2019-20 0
Ikast Håndbold 4th 1991-92 4
København Håndbold 6th 2013-14 1
Nykøbing F. Håndbold 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 2013-14 1
Odense Håndbold 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 2009-10 2
SønderjyskE Håndbold 8th 2022-23 0
Ringkøbing Håndbold 10th 2021-22 0
Skanderborg Håndbold 9th 2018-19 0
Silkeborg-Voel KFUM 5th 2013-14 0
Team Esbjerg 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2007-08 4
Bjerringbro FH 13th 2023-24 0
Viborg HK 7th 1988-89 14

Champions

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The complete list of champions since 1936:

Season Gold Silver Bronze
1935–1936 K.I.
1936–1937 K.K.G.
1937–1938 K.I.
1938–1939 R.H. 33
1939–1940 K.K.G.
1940–1941 K.K.G.
1941–1942 AGF
1942–1943 K.I.
1943–1944 K.I.
1944–1945 Didn't take place
1945–1946 K.K.G.
1946–1947 K.I.
1947–1948 K.I.
1948–1949 AGF
1949–1950 K.I.
1950–1951 H.G.
1951–1952 V.R.I.
1952–1953 H.G.
1953–1954 K.I.
1954–1955 USG
1955–1956 FIF
1956–1957 H.G.
1957–1958 H.G.
1958–1959 FIF
1959–1960 H.G.
1960–1961 Svendborg HK
1961–1962 FIF
1962–1963 Helsingør IF
1963–1964 H.G.
1964–1965 H.G.
1965–1966 FIF H.G. IK Skovbakken
1966–1967 FIF H.G. IK Skovbakken
1967–1968 H.G. FIF K.I.
1968–1969 H.G. FIF K.I.
1969–1970 H.G. FIF Glostrup IC
1970–1971 FIF H.G. Glostrup IC
1971–1972 FIF Glostrup IC Hørsholm-Usserød IK
1972–1973 FIF Funder GF Næstved IF
1973–1974 FIF H.G. Glostrup IC
1974–1975 H.G. FIF Helsingør IF
1975–1976 FIF AIA-Tranbjerg H.G.
1976–1977 H.G. FIF Svendborg HK
1977–1978 FIF AIA-Tranbjerg Svendborg HK
1978–1979 Svendborg HK FIF AIA-Tranbjerg
1979–1980 FIF Helsingør IF Greve IF
1980–1981 FIF IF Stjernen Svendborg HK
1981–1982 AIA-Tranbjerg Svendborg HK FIF
1982–1983 Helsingør IF Holstebro KFUM FIF
1983–1984 Helsingør IF AIA-Tranbjerg Rødovre HK
1984–1985 FIF Helsingør IF IF Stjernen
1985–1986 IF Stjernen Rødovre HK GOG
1986–1987 Rødovre HK Lyngså BK NNfH Lemvig
1987–1988 Lyngså BK Rødovre HK GOG
1988–1989 FIF AIA-Tranbjerg GOG
1989–1990 GOG FIF Lyngså BK
1990–1991 GOG Viborg HK FIF
1991–1992 GOG Viborg HK FIF
1992–1993 GOG Viborg HK FIF
1993–1994 Viborg HK GOG Ikast FS
1994–1995 Viborg HK GOG Ikast FS
1995–1996 Viborg HK GOG Ikast FS
1996–1997 Viborg HK Frederikshavn fI GOG
1997–1998 Ikast FS Viborg HK FIF
1998–1999 Viborg HK Ikast FS Frederikshavn fI
1999–2000 Viborg HK FIF Ikast-Bording EH
2000–2001 Viborg HK GOG Ikast-Bording EH
2001–2002 Viborg HK Ikast-Bording EH Randers HK
2002–2003 Slagelse FH Ikast-Bording EH GOG
2003–2004 Viborg HK Slagelse FH Ikast-Bording EH
2004–2005 Slagelse DT Aalborg DH Viborg HK
2005–2006 Viborg HK Slagelse DT Aalborg DH
2006–2007 Slagelse DT Viborg HK Aalborg DH
2007–2008 Viborg HK Ikast-Bording EH FCK Håndbold
2008–2009 Viborg HK Aalborg DH FCK Håndbold
2009–2010 Viborg HK Randers HK KIF Vejen
2010–2011 FC Midtjylland Håndbold Randers HK Viborg HK
2011–2012 Randers HK Viborg HK FC Midtjylland Håndbold
2012-2013 FC Midtjylland Håndbold Team Tvis Holstebro Viborg HK
2013-2014 Viborg HK FC Midtjylland Håndbold Randers HK
2014–2015 FC Midtjylland Håndbold Team Esbjerg Team Tvis Holstebro
2015–2016 Team Esbjerg FC Midtjylland Håndbold Team Tvis Holstebro
2016–2017 Nykøbing Falster Håndboldklub København Håndbold FC Midtjylland Håndbold
2017–2018 København Håndbold Odense Håndbold Viborg HK
2018–2019 Team Esbjerg Herning-Ikast Håndbold Odense Håndbold
2019–2020 Team Esbjerg Odense Håndbold Viborg HK
2020–2021 Odense Håndbold Viborg HK Herning-Ikast Håndbold
2021–2022 Odense Håndbold Team Esbjerg Herning-Ikast Håndbold
2022–2023 Team Esbjerg Odense Håndbold Herning-Ikast Håndbold
2023-2024 Team Esbjerg Nykøbing Falster Håndboldklub Odense Håndbold

Medal table

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The all-time medal table for the women's championship is as follows:[1]

Team Gold Silver Bronze
Viborg HK 14 6 4
FIF København 12 8 6
HG København 5 4 1
Team Esbjerg 5 2 7
Herning-Ikast Håndbold 4 7 11
GOG 4 4 0
Slagelse DT 3 2 0
Odense Håndbold 2 3 1
Helsingør IF 2 2 1
IF AIA-Tranbjerg 1 4 1
Randers HK 1 2 2
Rødovre HK 1 2 1
Svendborg HK 1 1 3
IF Stjernen 1 1 1
Lyngså BK 1 1 1
København Håndbold 1 1 0
Nykøbing Falster Håndboldklub 1 0 0
Aalborg DH 0 2 2
Glostrup IC 0 1 3
Holstebro 0 1 2
IK Skovbakken 0 1 2
Frederikshavn f.I. 0 1 1
Funder GF 0 1 0
Holstebro KFUM 0 1 0
K.I. København 0 0 2
FCK Håndbold 0 0 2
Hørsholm-Usserød IK 0 0 1
Næstved IF 0 0 1
Greve IF 0 0 1
NNfH Lemvig 0 0 1
KIF Vejen 0 0 1

Top scorers

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The following list shows the top scorers from recent seasons:[2]

Statistics

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EHF coefficients

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The following data indicates Danish coefficient rankings between European handball leagues.

Broadcasting rights

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In European competitions

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Champions League EHF Cup Challenge Cup Cup Winners' Cup
C winning year(s) RU SF C winning year(s) RU SF C winning year(s) RU SF C winning year(s) RU SF
Viborg HK 3 2006, 2009, 2010 2 1 3 1994, 1999, 2004 0 0 0 0 0 1 2014 1 0
Slagelse FH 3 2004, 2005, 2007 0 0 1 2003 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
HG København 1 1965 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
FC Midtjylland (Ikast) 0 0 2 2 2002, 2011 1 2 1 1998 1 1 2 2004, 2015 0 1
Team Tvis Holstebro 0 0 0 2 2013, 2015 1 0 0 0 0 1 2016 0 0
Randers HK 0 0 0 1 2010 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0
FC København 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2009 0 1
Frederiksberg IF 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Helsingør IF 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
KIF Vejen 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0
Aalborg DH 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Team Esbjerg 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
GK Svendborg 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
AIA-Tranbjerg 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Rødovre HK 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Kolding IF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
TOTAL 7 title 5 6 9 title 3 4 1 title 2 1 5 title 2 7

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Medaljefordeling gennem tiden (Damer)" (in Danish). Danish Handball Federation. Archived from the original on 2019-12-25. Retrieved 2010-08-16.
  2. ^ "Topscorere siden 1965 - Damer" (in Danish). Danish Handball Federation. 9 July 2008. Archived from the original on February 19, 2009. Retrieved 15 March 2009.
  3. ^ "2021/22 season ranking" (PDF). European Handball Federation. Retrieved 1 August 2022.