Rainbow Coast Raiders

Basketball team in Albany, Western Australia
Rainbow Coast Raiders
Rainbow Coast Raiders logo
LeaguesState Basketball League
Founded1989
Dissolved1999
HistoryMen:
Rainbow Coast Raiders
1989–1995
Albany Raiders
1996–1997
Great Southern Raiders
1998
Rainbow Coast Raiders
1999
Women:
Rainbow Coast Raiders
1992–1994
ArenaAlbany Sports Centre
LocationAlbany, Western Australia
Team colors1989–1997
White, green, yellow/gold[1]
1998–1999
White, purple, black[1]
Championships0

Rainbow Coast Raiders was a State Basketball League (SBL) club based in Albany, Western Australia. The club fielded a team in both the Men's SBL and Women's SBL. The Raiders played their home games at Albany Sports Centre.

Club history

Men's team

1989 saw the formation of the State Basketball League (SBL) with both a men's and women's competition. A team from Albany, known as the Raiders, entered the Men's SBL for its inaugural season.[2][3] They were the first team outside of Perth to enter the SBL[4] and represented the Rainbow Coast and Great Southern region.[1]

The Raiders missed the finals in their first three seasons before making the top eight for the first time in 1992, finishing seventh with a 12–12 record and losing 2–0 in the quarter-finals to the Cockburn Cougars.[3] The 1993 season marked the Raiders' best ever season, as they finished third with a 17–7 record and defeated the Willetton Tigers 2–1 in the quarter-finals. They went on to lose 2–1 to the Wanneroo Wolves in the semi-finals.[3]

The Raiders did not play finals again from 1994 onwards[3] and folded following the 1999 season due to financial constraints.[4]

Between 2012 and 2015, attempts were made by Albany Basketball Association to submit bids and applications for a return of the Raiders to the SBL.[4][5]

Women's team

In 1992, a Raiders women's team entered the Women's SBL for the first time. In three seasons, the team had three wins and 57 losses.[6]

Season-by-season results

Men's team
Year Won Lost Pos Titles
1989 5 17 10th
1990 11 15 10th
1991 12 14 9th
1992 12 12 7th
1993 17 7 3rd
1994 9 17 12th
1995 8 18 11th
1996 6 20 12th
1997 7 17 11th
1998 4 20 13th Wooden spoon
1999 9 17 11th
Women's team
Year Won Lost Pos Titles
1992 0 20 11th Wooden spoon
1993 2 18 10th
1994 1 19 11th Wooden spoon

References

  1. ^ a b c "Rainbow Coast Raiders" (PDF). SBL.asn.au. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 September 2021.
  2. ^ "Raiders Representative Development Program". Albany Basketball Association. Archived from the original on 7 November 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d "MSBL History". SBL.asn.au. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020.
  4. ^ a b c Edmunds, Tim (14 October 2015). "Raiders' return to SBL not forgotten". albanyadvertiser.com.au. Archived from the original on 7 November 2020.
  5. ^ "Albany SBL bid takes shape". TheWest.com.au. 27 March 2012. Archived from the original on 23 September 2021.
  6. ^ "WSBL History". SBL.asn.au. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020.
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