Men's Belgian Hockey League
Field hockey league
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Men's Belgian Hockey League is a field hockey league organised by the Royal Belgian Hockey Association. The league was established in 1919 as the Division 1. Between the 2006–07 and the 2015–16 seasons it was known as the Honor Division.
Current season, competition or edition: 2025–26 Men's Belgian Hockey League | |
| Sport | Field hockey |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1919 |
| First season | 1919–20 |
| Administrator | Royal Belgian Hockey Association |
| No. of teams | 12 |
| Country | Belgium |
| Confederation | EHF (Europe) |
Most recent champion | Gantoise (4th title) (2024–25) |
| Most titles | Léopold (28 titles) |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Relegation to | National 1 |
| International cup | Euro Hockey League |
Sixteen different clubs have won the league with a 28 times record for Léopold. The current champion is Gantoise, having won the 2023–24 season by defeating Waterloo Ducks in the championship final.
Format
The season usually starts in September and ends around the end of April or the beginning of May. From the 2021–22 season onwards the league is played by twelve teams who play each other twice and who compete for four spots in the championship play-offs. The number one and four and the number two and three play each other in the semi-final and the winners qualify for the final where the winner will be crowned champion. The last two teams are relegated to the National 1 and the tenth placed team plays a relegation play-off against the third-placed team in the second division.[1]
Teams
Beerschot and Namur are the two promoted clubs from the 2023–24 National 1, replacing Victory and White Star.
Number of teams by provinces
| Province | Number of teams | Team(s) |
|---|---|---|
 Brussels | 5 | Daring, Léopold, Orée, Racing, Uccle Sport |
 Antwerp | 4 | Beerschot, Braxgata, Dragons, Herakles |
 East Flanders | 1 | Gantoise |
 Namur | Namur | |
 Walloon Brabant | Waterloo Ducks | |
| Total | 12 |
Champions
By year
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By club
| Club | Championship(s) | Year(s) won |
|---|---|---|
| Léopold | 28 | 1921–22, 1922–23, 1927–28, 1938–39, 1950–51, 1951–52, 1954–55, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1965–66, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74, 1978–79, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1990–91, 1991–92, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2018–19 |
| Rasante | 16 | 1925–26, 1928–29, 1929–30, 1930–31, 1936–37, 1937–38, 1939–40, 1942–43, 1944–45, 1952–53, 1953–54, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1985–86, 1989–90 |
| Uccle Sport | 13 | 1963–64, 1964–65, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1977–78, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1986–87 |
| Dragons | 12 | 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2020–21 |
| Beerschot | 6 | 1924–25, 1926–27, 1931–32, 1933–34, 1941–42, 1943–44 |
| Racing | 1923–24, 1932–33, 1934–35, 1935–36, 1940–41, 2021–22 | |
| Waterloo Ducks | 2005–06, 2008–09, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2025-26 | |
| Gantoise | 4 | 1920–21, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25 |
| Daring | 1945–46, 1946–47, 1947–48, 1948–49 | |
| Baudouin | 3 | 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95 |
| Victory | 2 | 1949–50, 1961–62 |
| Brussels HLTC | 1 | 1919–20 |
| White Star | 1995–96 | |
| Herakles | 1997–98 | |
| Antwerp | 2006–07 | |
| Leuven | 2007–08 |
By province
| Province | Championships | Clubs |
|---|---|---|
| Brussels | 69 | Léopold (28), Rasante (16), Uccle Sport (13), Racing (6), Daring (4), Brussels HLTC (1), White Star (1) |
| Antwerp | 22 | Dragons (12), Beerschot (6), Victory (2), Herakles (1), Antwerp (1) |
| Walloon Brabant | 5 | Waterloo Ducks (5) |
 Flemish Brabant | 4 | Baudouin (3), Leuven (1) |
| East Flanders | Gantoise (4) |