Podravka and Lokomotiva Join New Regional League
Two Croatian clubs have joined the newly established Women's Regional Handball League (WHRL) with teams from the former state, and the first round brings a clash between Podravka and Krim Mercator.
Two Croatian clubs have joined the newly established Women's Regional Handball League (WHRL) with teams from the former state, and the first round brings a clash between Podravka and Krim Mercator.
Starting next season, the women's teams of Podravka from Koprivnica and Lokomotiva from Zagreb will be part of the newly founded Women's Regional Handball League (WHRL). Alongside the Croatian representatives, clubs from the region will also participate, with the league's headquarters located in Podgorica.
The league is organized on the SEHA League model and is owned by the national handball federations that participated in its founding: the Handball Federation of Montenegro, the Handball Federation of Serbia, and the Handball Federation of North Macedonia. The mission of the new competition, according to sources, is to "raise the quality, visibility, and commercial value of regional handball."
The European Handball Federation has given the green light for the league's launch, but with the condition that matches are not played in time slots that would conflict with clubs' obligations to the EHF or national federations.
Podravka and Lokomotiva are placed in Group A alongside Ljubljana's Krim Mercator and Belgrade's Red Star. In the other group, designated as Group B, there are six clubs: Jagodina, Bor, Naisa Niš, Stars-Lavice, Đorče Petrov, and Čair Skopje.
After the group stage, a single-match quarterfinal will follow. The four winners will advance to the Final Four tournament, which will be held at a single venue over two days.
Podravka will play its first match in the Regional League this Thursday, August 6, 2026, in Ljubljana against Krim Mercator. The return match between these two clubs is scheduled for August 27, 2026, in Koprivnica.
In parallel with this competition, a Regional League for men has also been established, but it will not feature any Croatian clubs. In the men's category, Eurofarm Pelister, Partizan, Lovćen, Dubočica 54, Alkaloid, Ohrid, Vojvodina, Vardar 1961, Dinamo Pančevo, and Budva will compete.
