Basketball is one of the fastest growing sports in the UK. In 2023, more than 344,000 people played the game at least twice a month, a 19 per cent increase over the previous year. And the Worcester Wolves, based in the heart of England, are helping to drive basketball’s growth in the country.
The Wolves’ Sports Franchise Marketing and Communications Manager, Tom Bennett says:
“Basketball is one of those sports where I think a lot of people are surprised - although they shouldn't be - about how popular it is across the country in terms of the numbers of teams, players and spectators. It tends to fly a bit under the radar in some ways.”
Approaching the twenty fifth anniversary
For their part, the Wolves are involved in all aspects of the game, from high-level men’s, women’s and wheelchair teams, down to youth and community projects. The club will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2025 and counts victories in the British Basketball League (BBL) Cup and BBL Trophies among its past achievements.
In terms of scale, Tom says that the Wolves have around 55 players in total, plus probably another 20 support, game and voluntary staff. The club’s home is the 2,000 capacity University of Worcester Arena. Men’s matches typically attract 500 to 1,200 spectators which, Tom points out, is more than some teams get in the top-tier Super League Basketball division. Crowds at the women's games run from 100 to 250 and the same for the wheelchair team.
The Wolves are part of the University of Worcester and many of the players are drawn from the student body. Tom says:
“I think most of the men’s squad are either current university students or recent graduates who are either doing further study or who are now employed in the area. The women’s team has a very similar make up, however, about 25% of the wheelchair team are university students since the pool we draw on is smaller.”
Important as the sports side is, the students’ education is always at the forefront. Tom says that:
“Obviously, we need to ensure that players get a first-class education as well. When it comes to recruitment, we're a basketball team wanting to play basketball, but at the same time we want players to have an excellent education at the university.”
Reaching out to the community
Whilst the Wolves are committed to developing top-performing players across their three teams, they also want to get the local community involved, especially at the youth level. Recent figures show that basketball is the third most popular sport for under-18s in England, behind only football and swimming, and considerably ahead of rugby, cricket, netball and hockey. That’s why Tom says that:
“We have great facilities, but we don't lock them away just for the use of university students. We invite the community to come and use them - local clubs, local schools, that sort of thing.”
While most schools have a basketball court marked out, PE teachers may not have the specialist knowledge to help players develop. So the Wolves offer a community program which caters for kids across multiple ages and abilities on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings. Tom says that this:
“Enables them to develop an understanding of the game at a young age. That then feeds into the older age groups and creates a more stable programme and a sustainable sport as well.”
Older players aren’t neglected either, with an evening session devoted to enthusiasts of all ages. The result of all this is that between last October and May, the Wolves’ community programme attracted more than 3,000 participants, which is pretty impressive. What’s more, they also run courses for officials so that local people can gain qualifications and earn money, another way in which they contribute to the community around the university.
Three teams, one club
Looking to the future, naturally the Wolves want to progress in terms of promotions and trophies, but Tom says that sustainability is the number one priority:
“I know a lot of people want to see the men get promoted into Division One, but that takes time, and it has to be sustainable. You need to have finance in place, and we need to be able to recruit players and offer an outstanding basketball experience for every student with an interest in the game.”
It’s refreshing to hear that ambition is spread evenly across the three teams. Tom says that:
“The teams all play in different leagues, but all three are treated equally in terms of what they get, where they train and their access to the arena facility. So even though the women's team and the wheelchair team don't attract the same crowds that the men's team, they train and play in the same facility as them. We’re very much about ‘three teams, one club’. We’re all equal”.
Eight years with Kappa, and counting…
The Wolves have been proudly wearing Kappa since 2016 and will be doing so for the foreseeable future. Tom says that:
“It’s beneficial for us to be with a brand like Kappa, which is growing and with a lot of values that align with ours. With Kappa we can not only build our own brand and create our own identity, but also be unique and stand out from the crowd.”
Tom also loves Kappa’s range of off-court options.
“The catalogue is so extensive that we can mix and match and it all looks like the same line. We can customise what our players wear in terms of how it looks and how well it does the job. Do we want track pants with or without pockets, do we want a full hoodie or a top with a quarter zip? There are so many different options for us to customise the exact off-court kit we want.”
Kappa is proud to be associated with a club riding the wave of a sport that is clearly very much on a growth trajectory across the UK. Even more so when that club places such an emphasis on equality of opportunity for its different teams and for the community in which it resides. It’s clear that the Worcester Wolves are doing things the right way.
