Women from Koprivnica and Zagreb Enter New Regional League
Starting next season, two Croatian teams will compete in the newly launched WHRL, with Podravka facing their first test on Thursday.
Starting next season, two Croatian teams will compete in the newly launched WHRL, with Podravka facing their first test on Thursday.
From next season, the women's teams of Podravka from Koprivnica and Lokomotiva from Zagreb will be part of the newly established Women's Regional Handball League (WHRL). Alongside the Croatian representatives, clubs from the region will also participate, with the league's headquarters based in Podgorica.
The league is organized on the model of the SEHA League and is owned by the national handball federations that took part 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 to launch, but with the condition that matches are not scheduled in slots that would conflict with clubs' obligations to the EHF or their national federations.
Podravka and Lokomotiva are placed in Group A alongside Krim Mercator from Ljubljana and Red Star from Belgrade. The other group, designated Group B, consists of six clubs: Jagodina, Bor, Naisa Niš, Stars-Lavice, Đorče Petrov, and Čair Skopje.
Following the group stage, a quarterfinal round will be played as single matches. The four winners will advance to the Final Four tournament, which will be held at a single venue over two days.
Podravka will play their first match in the Regional League this Thursday, August 6, 2026, in Ljubljana against Krim Mercator. The return fixture between these two clubs is scheduled for August 27, 2026, in Koprivnica.
In parallel with this competition, a Regional League for male handball players has also been established, but it will not feature any Croatian clubs. The men's category will include Eurofarm Pelister, Partizan, Lovćen, Dubočica 54, Alkaloid, Ohrid, Vojvodina, Vardar 1961, Dinamo Pančevo, and Budva.
